Spirited Away
by DreamerDust
Summary: When Sakura and her family go to Hong Kong so her father can work on his archaeology, she is excited at the idea of living at the grand Li Mansion where the Li family once lived. But once there, Sakura finds out that there is more to it than it seems...
1. The Arrival

Hey beautiful people!! Yes, it's true…DreamerDust has decided to start another story in the midst of writing "Phoenix Rising." This story just popped up in my head one day and refused to go away. Anyway, I hope you like this, everyone!

And incase you're wondering, this fic has nothing to do with that spectacular movie, "Spirited Away", by Miyazaki-san. So…you'll still read it right? ^-^

Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura does not belong to me. [DUH…] And just to be safe, even though I'm not basing it on it, Casper doesn't belong to me. It just kind of inspired me to write it because I was bored one day and watched it.

I'll shut up now. ^-------^

Spirited Away

Chapter One: The Arrival

"Oi…kaijuu…"

A sleepy mumble was the reply.

"OI."

"Five more minutes…" A girl muttered as she lay slightly curled in the lap of a young man in the seat of a bus. The dull brown leather contrasted sharply with her short silky auburn hair, which was tousled around her face. Her eyes were closed in peaceful slumber. This was Sakura Kinomoto.

Her brother, Touya, looked down on her, a devious expression on his face and humor radiating in his mahogany eyes. _I know how to wake her up…_

"And this," boomed the tour guide as he began once again, "is the Hong Kong Central Plaza. Towards the right," he pointed towards a massive structure that was glinting madly in the afternoon sunlight, "is the shopping center where you will find gifts, clothes, souvenirs, and such things you would expect to find at a mall." He smiled as hoards of hands shot up in the air from the people in the bus.

"No, we will not be visiting the shopping center since we are low on time but you may take the Red Dragon trolley to the mall in your spare time," the tour guide explained, his blue eyes laughing silently in amusement as a multitude of disappointed sighs erupted from the crowd.

"Now if you look over there--"

And with that, Touya deliberately stood up and looked out the window at something that clearly did not exist, an expression of faked awe on his face. At that very moment, his dear sister, who was sleeping so very sweetly, tumbled off his lap.

"Hoeeee!!!!" She cried, now fully awake and seeing the ground rushing at her. She landed softly on her back but still hard enough to cause some aches that would last until tomorrow.

"Itai…" Sakura winced, getting back on to her seat. It was then that she noticed everyone's eyes on her and she glowed with embarrassment. She laughed nervously, her large emerald eyes so heartbreakingly innocent that everyone else burst into laughter. 

Touya smirked when the ruckus died down as everyone went back to staring out at the scenery and Sakura glared at him.

"O_nii_chan!!" She scolded fiercely, "What do you think you were doing?!"

"Well…the little kaijuu," he ruffled her hair at that and a vein popped on her forehead, "wouldn't wake up no matter how much I pushed and nudged and how many spiders I put in her hair…"

At the mention of spiders, poor little Sakura uttered another "HOEEEE!!" in fright and rapidly began to check her ginger-colored hair for any signs of arachnids. Again, the "audience" chuckled at the "entertainment" as Sakura realized that again, she had made a fool of herself.

She pouted cutely and folding her arms across her chest, she sank in her seat. Touya snorted at her expression. This was going to be a fun day…

Sakura jerked awake in an unfamiliar environment, blinking groggily. She felt the smooth leather seat on her cheek and realized that she was in a car. The car that her father rented to be exact. She was perplexed for a moment before remembering where she was and sitting up. This was Hong Kong, not Tomoeda.

It had been a few months ago when her father told the news over a dinner of spaghetti and meatballs.

* - Flashback - *

"Sakura-san, Touya-kun…" Fujitaka began, putting his fork down on his plate. Both siblings looked up.

"A few professor friends of mine in Hong Kong have unearthed some valuable artifacts in a site near the city. They want me to go over there and work with them for a while. I cannot resist such an interesting offer but unfortunately I cannot leave my children alone here either."

"Oh, that's all right Otou-san," Sakura said, "We can manage on our own here. Don't worry about us."

"But you two are such good children, I can't help but worry," Fujitaka smiled, "So…I've decided to bring you two with me to Hong Kong."

The two children were speechless.

Their father grinned at their expressions, "Don't worry, it'll only be for a year and you'll have adequate education there so you won't miss out on schooling. You both took Chinese as a second language, right?"

Sakura and Touya nodded, still a little stunned.

"So this will also be an educational trip for you both to experience the culture and wonder of China."

"I guess so…" Sakura was the first to speak, "Are we going to live in a hotel?"

"Where we're living at is the good part," A glimmer appeared in his eyes, "We are going to live at the Li Mansion."

Sakura's mouth dropped open. She had learned about the Li Mansion in school and had seen it on television. It was famous all over the world. And they were going to actually _live_ in it?

"The _what_??" Touya gasped, not quite grasping what his father had said.

"The Li Mansion, Touya-kun," He teased, "I'm sure you've heard of it before somewhere."

"Wow…" Both Sakura and Touya breathed.

"This is incredible, Otou-san!" Sakura exclaimed, "How did you manage to buy it to let us live there?!"

Fujitaka became thoughtful, "That was the funny thing. The people who had lived there before suddenly decided to leave and the landlady needed to quickly sell it because she was behind in her debts. So she sold it to the first person that wanted it, which was I, for a ludicrously low price!" He beamed at them, "Think about it…we now own the Li Mansion."

"I'm gonna call Tomoyo-chan!!" Sakura nearly shrieked in delight as she jumped out of her chair to go to her room. 

Touya began to count in a bored tone, "3…2…1…"

"HOEEE!!" Sakura cried as she tripped over the couch, tumbling over on to the ground.

Fujitaka laughed, "Are you all right?"

"The kaijuu is never all right…" Touya replied sardonically for her.

"Onii-chan!!!"

* - End of Flashback - *

Sakura could feel butterflies fluttering excitedly in her stomach. She had always wanted to visit the famous landmark but she couldn't help but wonder why the family that used to live there decided to leave such a famous and beautiful place. Was there something that had caused them to leave?

She looked out the window and was fascinated at all the shops and stores surrounding her. Hong Kong was such a lively place, she had loved it immediately. At night, everything was lit up and it was simply wonderful. Sakura couldn't wait to arrive at the mansion.

As she dwelled in her thoughts, she remembered her dreams. Those strange reoccurring dreams she had recently begun to have. It was odd…in her dreams she saw nothing but scenes and people she did not know. 

And there was always that boy. 

There was a boy dressed in an olden-style _qi pao_ and the design on it told Sakura that it had to be at least two hundred years old. His green colored clothes fluttered in the invisible wind as she called out to him. He did not answer. He seemed to be about her age. The boy then looked at her with his empty, empty amber eyes and just when he moved his lips to speak, Sakura always woke up. This was the dream that she had the most.

Also, there were scenes…as if she had been there, watching them happen. There was the marriage of a majestic and exquisite woman to a man that was always hidden in shadow so that Sakura could not distinguish his features. Everything and everyone was so happy, and she actually felt the joy in her heart.

Some dreams were pleasant, some frightening, and some even sad. Sakura couldn't figure out why she was seeing these things. She clutched at a necklace under her shirt. It was a peculiarly designed piece of jewelry that her mother had passed down to her. Whenever Sakura felt sad, or lonely, or confused, she would hold it tightly and after a while, she would feel better.

It looked somewhat like the head of a bird, with a scarlet beak and large round eyes of the same color. From the eyes sprouted wings made from a material that Sakura did not recognize. The "neck" was made of a bronze color and the end looked like an old-fashioned skeleton key. It was connected to a golden chain that forevermore hung around her neck.

"Oi…kaijuu, we're here," said Touya, breaking her out of her thoughts as the car pulled to a stop.

"All right," Sakura replied nonchalantly. She slung her bag over her shoulder and proceeded to the rear of the car for the rest of her luggage.

Touya blinked. There was something going on with her lately. Usually whenever he called her a kaijuu, she would become angry. Not the real kind, of course, but the playful kind. Sakura had always been a very "genki" person, literally smiling 24 hours a day. But during the past week or two…something had changed within her. She was usually seen lost in her thoughts, her eyes seeing something that only existed in her mind, and she slept more than she normally did, earning her a lot of trouble with her homeroom teacher.

Sakura looked back at her brother, lost in his own thoughts, and shouted, "Onii-chan, come on! We're going in!"

"Okay! Wait up!" Touya called back, picking up his luggage and following his sister up the steps of the majestic yet dilapidated-looking house.

Fujitaka produced a house key from his pocket and inserted it into the keyhole of the brass doorknob. Just for fun, Sakura reached up and tapped the doorknocker against the wooden door. She never expected the door to creak open by itself as the sharp sound echoed throughout the house.

"That's odd…" Fujitaka remarked, "I hadn't even turned the key yet." Shrugging with indifference, he picked up his bags and stepping into the main hall of the mansion. Sakura and Touya followed suit, lugging their baggage behind them. 

Sakura gasped in wonder at the sight. It was splendid indeed. The floor was made of aged but beautifully polished wood and the walls were covered with flowery designs. But the ceiling…the ceiling was at an entirely different level. There, dragons curled around each other in an intricate design, breathing graceful wisps of fire at each other. Phoenixes fluttered among them, their feathers like woven gold and their plumes a rich vermilion shade. From the middle of the ceiling, dropped down a chandelier that was suspended on what seemed to be a pure gold sculpture of a dragon's claw. The light bounced off the small gems that were hung in a spiral design, reflecting small white dots all over the trio. Not bad for a house that was over two hundred years old.

As Sakura began to ascend the gilded stairs, her eyes still wide in awe, something dark in the corner of her eye had caught her attention. She whipped her face towards the archway where the stairs lead, but it was gone. She had seen something…something that looked like a…person? Sakura stared at the spot hard for a while longer until her brother noticed.

"Sakura? What are you looking at?"

"Um…oh! It's nothing. I just thought I saw something over there," Sakura vaguely gestured towards the archway.

Touya looked in the direction that Sakura indicated, "I don't see anything."

"It's nothing Onii-chan," Sakura smiled at him.

"Uh…okay…" Touya said, looking curiously at his sister.

"Sakura-san, Touya-kun," Fujitaka said, "I think you two should go find your rooms," He looked around the main hall smiling, "But in a house like this, I could sleep in the bathroom!"

Sakura giggled while Touya just rolled his eyes. They then began their separate ways to find a suitable room; Touya taking the right hallway at the top of the stairs and Sakura taking the straight hallway.

A figure shrouded in haziness watched Fujitaka walk back outside from the archway, its dark eyes expressionless. In a soft, silvery voice, it whispered, "_The destined one…has arrived…"_

Haha!! What do you guys think? I'll still work on "Phoenix Rising". It's just that I might eventually have to alternate my updates since I do have to go to school. 

See ya!! ^-^

* - DreamerDust - *


	2. A Host of Ghosts

It's been SO long…I don't know if anyone cares to read this anymore…^-^ Unfortunately, like I said in Chapter One, this story has nothing to do with Miyazaki-san's Spirited Away. I hope it's still a good story anyway. Oh and THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!! You people are too nice to me!!

Also…I'm so sorry about Phoenix Rising!! *cowers under desk* If you don't know what I'm talking about, then check my profile. But don't kill me afterwards, ne? ^^0

Disclaimer: I own nothing but please don't take my ideas.

Spirited Away

Chapter Two: A Host of Ghosts

Click.

"Hello?"

"Sakura-chan!!" A voice squealed into the phone on the other side of the line. Sakura had the fleeting impression of a small plump pig with a long lavender wig on.

"Is that you? How are you? What's it like in Hong Kong? It is nice there? Is it too cold for you? Do you need any extra clothes? What's the house like? Is it too dusty? Have you met anyone yet? Do you need me to-"

The fifteen-year-old girl moved the phone away from her ear, sweat dropping as her friend went on asking a long slew of questions in her soft, melodious voice. That would be Tomoyo Daidouji, Sakura's best friend since the days they learned to count and a very accomplished singer. She was, in fact, first soprano in the local chorus group back in Tomoeda although she had a strange hobby of making clothes for Sakura. Tomoyo was convinced that Sakura "couldn't be in her full kawaii-ness without a kawaii outfit!". Sakura sighed as she neared the phone to her ear again.

"Are the people nice there? Have you gone to the school yet? Do they have uniforms? Because if they don't then I can send you a few outfits because after you-"

"No, no. Tomoyo-chan," Sakura interrupted, an embarrassed smile in her voice, "I'm fine here. 

"Oh," Tomoyo replied with a hint of disappointment. Sakura could just imagine the look that her friend would be giving her right now. It seemed to say, _Sakura-chan could look SO much more kawaii…if only she'd wear my outfits…_

"Eh-uh-B-But I have so many drab outfits!! What'll I do?!" Sakura finally cried into the phone. She mentally hit herself.

"GREAT!!!" Tomoyo squealed into the phone, "You know, I tried out this really new design on a top that I made for you. It's pink and it has frills on the sleeves-oh, by the way, what _is_ the house like?"

For once, Sakura was glad to answer, "It is so absolutely gorgeous, Tomoyo-chan!! I wish you could see it!"

"Well…why don't you give me a verbal tour?" Tomoyo suggested, "I'm sure you can describe it well enough."

"Okay!" Sakura chirped, "Since I'm in my new room, I'll just start here."

"Go for it, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo exclaimed.

And she began. She talked about her broad soft canopy bed draped in sheer sheets of satin and rich strips of green silk. Above it, a small but exquisite crystal chandelier hung from the patterned dome ceiling in the shape of a crystallized teardrop. Beyond the light source of the room, blooming peony flowers stretched as far as she could see in luscious fields of snowy white petals. Next to her bedside table, stood a tall, gilded dresser that almost seemed to act like a guardian in its hugeness. Alongside that, stood a full-length mirror that was fitted with a frame detailed with legendary fairies that Sakura could name by heart with all her knowledge of Chinese folklore. Across the room was a wardrobe that stretched the entire length of the opposite wall. It was, of course, fitted with gold edges and the handles were even embedded with real emeralds.

"Good job, Miss Tour Guide. You are now entitled to a five-minute break. Then you shall commence once again," Tomoyo announced authoritatively.

Sakura laughed and fell back on to her bed. The embroidered blanket felt very soft underneath the lightweight of her slim body and she closed her eyes, snoring loudly at an attempt to feign sleep. Sakura was surprised to find that the linen smelled of some incense and the musty but pleasant scent of autumn. She opened her eyes, admiring the curling blossoms above her through the canopy of the bed.

Sakura didn't know why she had chosen this room. Her favorite color, after all, was pink and there was a room next to her brother's that was gauzed with peach and light blushing colors everywhere. But for some reason, this room made her feel safe and cozy and had rooted her to the spot.

Speaking of other rooms, the girl jumped off the bed and excitedly ran to her brother's room, then her father's room, and even the bathroom, telling so much detail that Tomoyo had to laugh.

"Sakura-chan! I'm not asking you to write a book on it, you know!"

"But everything is so wonderful, I have to tell you all about it!" And she descended the stairs, heading for the kitchen. Her pattering steps echoed greatly in the Main Hall and for a moment, Sakura shivered as if she felt that she was being watched. But after surveying her surroundings for a good five minutes, she could find no evidence and quickly shook off the feeling. But just as she set her yellow, slippered foot down on the old dusty tiles, a loud noise suddenly sounded from upstairs.

__

THUMP.

Even Tomoyo heard it.

"Sakura-chan…what's that?"

Sakura stopped, trying to hear it again, but it didn't happen. "I-I don't know," she replied shakily after a moment, "Otou-san and Onii-chan went to town to buy some groceries. I'm the only one here…"

"Or, you _should _be the only one here," Tomoyo pointed out.

"Do you think…that it's a…g-ghost?" Sakura's knuckles became white, clutched around the phone, as she uttered the last word. She had always been terrified at the idea of ghosts since childhood when Touya had relentlessly told her stories about all the ghosts that he saw. Now a more mature Sakura knew that those stories were false. But a nagging fear came to existence inside her of translucent beings that were actually splitting images of dead people.

"Sa-"

Tomoyo's words were suddenly cut off as the line went dead.

"Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura whispered, her face paling," Tomoyo-chan?"

__

Thump. Thump.

Sakura froze stiff. _Get a grip!_ She chided within herself, _Just go check what it is! There can't be ghosts in such a famous house. You're scaring yourself; it's probably just a branch hitting the roof._

Remembering the large willow tree she had glimpsed from the front of the house, she felt a slight bit better, and placed the useless phone on the kitchen table. Nevertheless, her hand trembled mercilessly.

After a few moments of sitting and quaking as if she had a seizure, Sakura sprung up and spoke in a falsely cheerful tone, as if soothing herself, "Okay, I can't just sit here scared out of my wits of nothing. I'm going to go check what it is."

But despite her courageous intentions, she cowered and tiptoed her way into the Main Hall. It looked to be the same hall she had just passed through but she felt that something was different. Sakura was becoming so uneasy that she wished with all her heart at the crazy notion of having some kind of weapon. 

She was overcome with gratefulness when she saw her cheerleading bag at the foot of her stairs and ran to it, nervously unzipping the familiar pink zipper. Rummaging through her uniform and her shoes, she grabbed her cheerleading baton, clutching it tightly in her hands as she stood up. The multi-colored tasseled ends gleaming lazily in the light streaming through the large stained glass windows. 

Suddenly, it happened again. 

__

Thump…thump.

Sakura had to stifle a scream with a gulp as she forced her shaking legs to ascend the stairs. Her slippers patted lightly up the dark, antique wood. At the top of the stairs, she heard it once more.

__

Thump…THUMP!

The young girl squeezed her eyes shut and it took all her will power not to run away. _Stop being such a coward! _With that little bit of encouraging, she opened them again, and continued her way upwards. At the three-way fork above the archway, she glanced nervously around her. 

__

Thump…

It was coming from the hallway to her room.

Sakura gritted her teeth and quietly crept down the plush carpeted floor like a cat, making almost no sound at all. She stopped outside the first room and slowly turned the doorknob. With a loud creak, the door swung open and she stuck her baton out in front of her like a sword. At the same moment, a shower of dust rained down on her.

Sakura coughed and tried to wave off the dust with her baton. It cleared away and she saw that the room only served as a storage room for holding huge stacks of boxes that was covered in cobwebs. 

Sakura began to turn away and to wait for the "thump" to come again. As she did so the light from the hallway glinted off something back in the storage room. Struck by curiosity, Sakura walked across the room to the glowing object, an eerie creak emitting from every floorboard she stepped on. She bent down and used her fingers to wipe off the dust from the object. She looked closer and squinted to see it better and possible identify it when…

__

THUMP thump thump thump…

Sakura jerked back and her heart rate seemed to have increased by at least a thousand times. It sounded like something had fallen and then rolled around above her. But then, that was impossible. Sure, there was a third floor but it didn't extend over the middle hallway. 

At least it didn't in the map.

Sakura stood up and walked back out of the storage room, closing the door behind her. She was shaking so hard that the doorknob rattled at her touch. 

She needed to go back to her room. As fast as she could.

That sounded insane but her conscious told her that it would protect her. She always had a strange feeling that she was protected there. Nearly sprinting, Sakura pounded her way down the hall to her room. For a moment, she thought that maybe all the thumping was caused by the loud beating of her heart booming away in her ears. But then how could it sound like it was coming from above her?

Sakura finally reached her sanctuary and slipped through the door, closing the double doors behind her and sliding down to the ground, panting as if she had run a marathon instead of the mere length of a hallway.

__

This is stupid, Sakura thought after a moment of silence passed. _I'm running from nothing._

That was when she noticed that her wardrobe was glowing.

Sakura's emerald eyes widened in fear, amazement, and shock all at the same time. She stood up stiffly, using the doorknob as a support and tried in vain to even her breathing. 

The wardrobe grew brighter.

Summoning what remained of her courage, Sakura stepped forward and reached for the jeweled handles of the wardrobe. The light seemed to radiate warmth and she immediately began to feel calm. Her fingers had almost touched the golden clasps when the doors burst open and Sakura realized that it was not the wardrobe that was glowing, but the hidden door inside. It was a full minute before she realized that she had stopped breathing.

Almost as if in a trance, she reached for the silver handle and turned it. The door would not open. It seemed that it was not locked but rather stuck. Sakura tugged with more strength but it did not budge. Finally, she heaved with all her might and it popped open and banged against the wardrobe wall. 

As Sakura peered around the door, she was suddenly flooded with voices in her head, as if she had heard them in a dream. Her head throbbed with pain and she fell to the ground clutching it and wincing. All the voices seemed jumbled together but one mellow voice stood out against the rest.

__

"Sakura! You'll meet me there, right? You'll…"

The light abruptly shut off, and at the same time, the voices trailed away. Sakura stayed there, not quite sure where she was for a moment, before standing up. She took a ragged breath and looked at the door inside the closet. Before she could stop it, the door slowly whined open and a small voice in her head, which she later recognized as her own, tried to convince her that it led to the bathroom.

But it didn't.

Behind the door, was absolutely nothing. It was a solid, blank wall. Sakura blinked a few times before closing the door and collapsing with half of her on the dusty wardrobe floor and half of her on the plush carpeted floor.

What was happening?

Lifting her head, Sakura caught a glimpse of a long black string of something as it whisked passed her eyes. She whipped her head around her surroundings rapidly, but saw nothing. Everything was silent save for the violent thudding of her heart. Then, out of impulse, Sakura looked into the wardrobe and her heart stopped its rampages and froze in her throat.

There, standing there, was a girl. But, she wasn't quite a girl. Her body seemed to be sheer, the bare wood of the wardrobe showing _through _her slim waist. Sakura realized that the black "string" she had witnessed earlier must have been her semi-transparent hair, which hung down at her elbows from two buns out of which streamers of ebony strands fell. Sakura could recognize this girl anywhere.

This was Li Meiling, cousin of the Li family. It was just that she had died about 200 years ago.

Meiling grinned crookedly as her reddish eyes sparkled and held her hands out as if in defense. When she spoke, her voice was hollow, yet rich, soft, yet loud, simultaneously. 

"Uh..._ni hao_? I come in peace."

Not knowing what else to say, Sakura responded with a strained whisper that came out as a croak, "_Ni hao_."

Suddenly, Meiling switched to the language that Sakura knew only too well. Her voice became sharper, "Your accent is off. It's obvious that you're Japanese."

Sakura felt faint.

Meiling sighed, irritated, and put her hands on her hips. It was then that Sakura noticed that she was wearing what looked like in the insufficient light a white and red silk _qi pao._ The dress was sleeveless and probably would have fallen to the ground if her feet didn't hover a few inches off of it.

"Well, come on," she appeared to be waiting for Sakura.

"C-come on where?" Sakura asked brokenly.

"To the library, before Syaoran comes," Meiling replied.

"What library? Who's Syaoran?" Sakura felt like her legs were made of pudding (A/N: Har har...very lame, I know).

"There's no time to explain, Kinomoto-san," she opened the door and before Sakura could say anything, disappeared through the wall.

"Wha-how-..." Sakura couldn't string together a whole sentence in the state she was in. Li Meiling knew here name and now she wanted her to step through a wall as if it weren't there. This was entirely too weird.

But as Sakura stood there, she realized that she hadn't actually _touched _the wall. She had stared at it, but didn't examine it too closely. Maybe this was some kind of illusion...? Sakura took a deep breath and climbed back into the wardrobe. She pulled open the door, and like a diver preparing to take a leap, stepped back, and jumped.

Sakura banged headfirst into the wall and ricocheted backwards, getting the wind knocked out of her as she landed on the floor.

"Itai..." she winced, imagining the bump that would form there tomorrow.

She heard a giggle and realized that Meiling had reappeared, or rather her head had reappeared through the wall. Her ruby lips were stretched into an amused smile.

"You have to concentrate on your magic! Now hurry before Syaoran comes!" Her head disappeared once again and Sakura was left more baffled than ever.

Magic? What magic?

She stood up and considered running through the door down the stairs and out of the mansion, never to look back, but something held her back. Sakura stared hard at the blank wall.

__

Okay...I have magic...um...help me get through the wall!!

Careful not to ram into the wall and possibly earn herself a concussion, Sakura walked towards it and reached out carefully, only to touch the cool surface of what looked to be an ordinary wall. But it was no ordinary wall, a ghost had walked into it. But then again…couldn't ghosts walk through everything?

Still, maybe it wasn't telepathic magic that Meiling was referring to.

Then what was she talking about? The only magic Sakura every recalled was the kinds she saw on television; pulling a rabbit out of a hat and such. Sakura walked up to the wall once more. Perhaps, Meiling wanted Ali Baba style magic. Sakura held out her arms in front of her and closed her eyes.

"Abracadabra! Open sesame!"

She opened her eyes and tentatively tested out the solidity of the wall and sighed as she felt it's rough dustiness again.

Sakura became frustrated, "Alakazam!! Shakka Lakka!! Zulu Lulu!!!" 

Suddenly, she felt a strong force behind her push her forward and the wall seemed to swish around her like gas. When she felt solid ground beneath her feet once more, she cracked one green eye open and found herself at the bottom of a narrow staircase. Curiosity washing away her fear, she walked up the steps rather fast and found herself in what looked like a small library. The bookcases reached to the ceiling and looked old with age but there seemed not to be one speck of dust on them. Thick books with yellowed and torn pages filled the shelves and littered the floor. Sakura stepped around the cases and found herself in front of what was probably a large oil painting. Unlike the rest of the library, the whole painting was covered with an almost opaque layer of gray dust and had cobwebs hanging over every corner. 

Sakura reached out a hand to wipe away the dirt when Meiling suddenly popped up in front of her.

"Took you long enough! So, you finally found your magic," She chuckled at the memory of Sakura's first attempt to get through the wall and looked up at her. But then, her eyes focused on something...or rather, someone behind her and her eyes widened. 

"Uh oh…"

"What is it?" Sakura turned around and found herself standing face to face with another phantom. This one, however, was a boy and he glared at her intensely with his amber eyes while his arms were crossed across his chest, covering the circular design on his green _qi pao._

It was the boy from her dream.

That was the last straw for Sakura. Before she could identify the most mysterious and most popular Li family member to this day, she crumpled as she fainted, unconscious before she even hit the floor.

FINALLY DONE. That was a seriously long chapter...anyway, I'm trying to write as fast as I can.

Oh by the way, here are some translations. ^^ Sorry, I forgot to include this in the last chapter.

__

qi pao – a traditional Chinese outfit. Just imagine what Syaoran wears in the anime/manga when he's battling and stuff…a _qi pao _isn't quite as fancy and the sleeves aren't so big.

__

kawaii – cute, lovely

__

ni hao – hello

-san – Miss, Mrs., Mr.

Jaa!

DreamerDust


	3. Almost Ordinary

Aiyah!! I'm so sorry that I used so many foreign words...I got kinda carried away...^_^

Thanks so much, bad penny to a dollar, for criticising me!! Without criticism...I couldn't improve as a writer.

Thanks chibisakura for correcting my Japanese!! ^__^ Online buddies forever!

If I didn't go to school then these chapters would come out a lot quicker. ^____^

Disclaimer: Casper, Card Captor Sakura, and the movie Spirited Away do not in any form belong to me but this is MY storyline. Be considerate and don't steal it. ^^

I think I'm going to have to make a key:

Things happening.

__

Flashbacks, dreams, thoughts, Jap/Chinese words

E_m_p_h_a_s_i_z_e_d_w_o_r_d_s

Translations:

//Japanese//

itai = ouch!

shimatta = oh no!

bishoujo = pretty girl

kaijuu = monster

arigato = thank you

ano = well…um…

-kun = typically used for males; used for people that you feel are your equal

wakarimasu = I understand.

//Chinese//

He Hua High School = River Flower High School

Spirited Away

Chapter Three:

__

"My bird!! W-Where is it?!" 

As if in sepia toned photograph, a scene unfolded in front of Sakura…the warm brownish shades of an event…or a memory?

"It f-flew away. I just turned away for a moment and when I looked back…it was g-gone." 

She heard herself stammer.

"How dare you?! How dare_ you let it go?! You did it on purpose, wench!! It's all your fault!!"_

The face of the angry voice was so fuzzy…who was she? The voice was too high to be a "he".

"I'm so sorry…I didn't mean to."

Sakura felt so guilty…such remorse welled up in her throat, as she had never felt before...

"I don't care what you say, you did it on purpose! I hate you! I hate you! I want you to die!"

The person's hair…long hair waved in the wind…

"I'm sorry!!" Sakura cried as she suddenly sat up, her head throbbing. She grabbed her head and massaged her temples, trying to ease the sharp pain that had woken her up. And then, slowly, the hazy orchard…the blurry face of someone yelling at her…very angry at her…the cold rain that day…all began to melt away like wisps of smoke. These images seemed familiar yet strange and made her feel so uneasy inside.

Sakura could feel cold sweat forming on her face and tried to slow down her rapid breaths. She stared at the darkness for a full five minutes before becoming aware of her surroundings. She was in bed in her room, in the mansion, in her soft silk pajamas.

A flood of recent events emerged in her mind; the call from Tomoyo, the noise, and ultimately the two ghosts. She had passed out, the only thing she remembered seeing was those two amber eyes. So cold…and empty. Sakura shivered but resumed trying to figure out what had happened. How did she get back to her room?

Was it all a dream?

Sakura glanced at the clock on the wall. The hands pointed to 3:15AM. It was possible…

But, she had to make sure. Sakura climbed out of bed, intent on going to the wardrobe when she glimpsed her reflection in the mirror, the silver light of the moon flooding through the windows and lighting up her eyes so that they resembled jade. She remembered when she had more or less banged her head against the wall in an attempt to get through it. If she had really tried to get through the wall without tearing it down in real life, which was pretty much impossible, she would have some type of bruise of bump that would reflect it so. With that thought, Sakura neared the mirror, brushing her bangs aside, and peered into it at her forehead. 

Sure enough, there was a dark bruise the size of a golf ball just barely covered with her auburn locks.

Sakura gasped. Then that would mean…that the ghosts were real. The secret panel behind the wardrobe was real. The small library annex was real.

As fast as was possibly without hurting herself, Sakura darted back to her bed and buried herself under the comfort of her warm blankets. As hot as it was in the day in Hong Kong, the weather changed to icy cold at night.

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut. From what she could conjure up from her memory, she must have somehow escaped from the ghosts and back to her room. Surely, they must be looking for her now. Even if she could evade them at night, how would she face them in the morning?

The solution came so easily that Sakura felt incredibly stupid despite the relief that flowed through her veins. School. She was starting school tomorrow and they wouldn't dare follow her there where there were so many people.

However calming the thought of school was, Sakura could not figure out what to do until then. Would they kidnap her while she was asleep? Would they…actually turn her into a ghost too?

She tossed and turned endlessly with thoughts that became more horrifying by the minute, but eventually fell into semi-peaceful slumber.

Touya recklessly stabbed at his pancakes and gulped them down one by one, pouring maple syrup down his throat at the same time. He glanced up at the clock in between bites.

Fujitaka soon joined him at the table, an expression of worry on his face.

"Where's Sakura-san? School is starting soon," He said. He then began to eat his own pancakes in a way that was much more civilized than Touya, the sunlight shining from the tall regal windows throwing bright reflections off his fork. Red and gold curtains had been pulled back from the windows with golden cords to let the light in and each window sill was carved with all kinds of proverbs.

"Dunno…" Touya replied casually, intent on drinking his orange juice without taking another breath.

Suddenly, a rapid pounding began upstairs and quickly worked its way down into the kitchen. There stood Sakura, flushed and utterly panicking. Since she had learned that her new high school had no uniforms, Sakura had dressed in a three-quarter-sleeve pink shirt with white lace on the edges and on the collar along. She had matched the top with a pleated white skirt that had round, silver buttons on the sides.

"_Shimatta_! I'm going to be late!" Sakura cried. She rushed over to the dark, ominous kitchen table, which could fit at least fifty people and wolfed down her pancakes in a style similar to Touya's.

"You don't have to eat like a _kaijuu _to show me that you are one…it's already obvious," Touya teased lazily.

"O-" Sakura tried to say but instead choked on her food, her eyes swirling from the lack of oxygen and her face turning blue.

"Sakura-san!" Fujitaka exclaimed, "Are you all right?"

When she had finally swallowed her food, she looked at the large grandfather clock behind her and immediately, blue lines crossed her face. Class had started 5 minutes ago!

"HOEE!! I'm late!!" Sakura wailed as she whirled out of the kitchen to the main hall, grabbing her backpack and snapping on her rollerblades in record time. Then, she tore open the door and shot outside, swerving around the corner in a shower of leaves and dirt. The tall, oak door swung a few times and shut by itself, without any wind to aid it.

If Sakura had been a little bit more observant, or stayed a little longer, she would have heard the two soft, wispy laughs that had followed.

"Very amusing…"

Sakura crept down the halls as quietly as she could, staring at the map of the school in her hand. High schools in Hong Kong were so big! Seijou High hadn't ever seemed so large to her. But then, Sakura remembered the main difference between _He Hua_ High School and Seijou High...

On the first day of high school, Tomoyo had guided her to every class, helping her along every step of the way in her gentle voice and smiling face. Over here, there was no Tomoyo.

"Tomoyo-chan…" Sakura whispered sadly, "I miss you…" Then her face slid into a small smile, "But I'll be back soon…and we can go to class together again."

Suddenly, Sakura looked up and realized that she was in front of the open door to a classroom. Everyone inside was staring at her curiously although a few faces seemed to be full of contempt. The teacher was a young lady with short, smooth blonde hair and her eyes shining a bright lavender.

Before Sakura could stop herself, she squealed, "_Bishoujo_!" A number of confused looks appeared. Then, remembering the country she was in, she quickly translated herself, smiling and saying, "What a beautiful lady!"

"Why, thank you," The young lady smiled gracefully, "But you seem a little lost…where is it that you're looking for?"

Sakura quickly pulled out a piece of paper from her bag and read the neat black Chinese characters printed on it, "Wing C…Room 168."

The teacher smiled even wider, "Well, you are in Wing C and this is Room 168. You must be our new exchange student, Kinomoto Sakura, right?"

"Yes," Sakura smiled as well but suddenly remembered her tardiness and bowed deeply, "I'm so sorry that I was late! I'm always late back in my other school!"

The young lady chuckled, "It's okay, since you're new here. I'm your homeroom teacher, Miss Ling_. _Pleased to meet you, Miss Kinomoto." She bowed deeply and before Sakura could bow in return, said, "Come over here and introduce yourself to the class."

"Okay, Miss Ling," Sakura crossed the front of the room to stand in front of the teacher's desk. She faced the class and bowed respectfully, her short hair falling over her face, shining cinnamon under the beams of sunlight being thrown across the classroom. Straightening back up, she grinned broadly and announced in a bright voice, "Hi everyone! I'm Sakura Kinomoto from Tomoeda, Japan. I am 15 and I hope we can all be friends."

A girl in the front row snorted sarcastically and smirked as she remarked loudly, "Get a load of Miss Japan over here."

"Miss Hong..." Miss Ling gave the girl a stony look.

The class burst into laughter nevertheless and the girl flipped her long black hair back, as if proving how superior she was. Sakura caught the strong, acrid scent of hair spray and she slowly edged away from the girl.

"Actually..." Sakura began again, smiling slightly when the noise had died down a bit, "I was chosen to represent Japan in the pageant once...but at the time, I was too young."

The atmosphere in the room abruptly changed, now echoing with "ooh"s and "ahh"s as everyone looked at her with wide, astonished eyes. All except Hong, of course. Two dabs of color appeared on Sakura's cheeks from the attention but Hong just looked away disdainfully.

A boy in the second row whistled and smiled roguishly, flicking his green bangs back, "No wonder you're so gorgeous." The male part of the class whooped in agreement.

"Class, class!" Miss Ling snapped, "Behave yourselves unless you all want to go stand in the corner while I show Miss Kinomoto her seat." The noise dramatically decreased but Sakura noticed a few guys still winking at her.

"Hoe?"

"Now, Miss Kinomoto," Miss Ling scanned the room for an empty seat, "I trust that you have no problems with your beautiful eyes so you don't need to sit in the front."

Sakura blushed pink, "Um...no…"

"Okay then," the teacher wrote down a few notes on what seemed to be a seating chart and said, "Miss Kinomoto, you will sit next to Mr. Hiiragizawaby the window. Mr. Hiiragizawa, please raise your hand."

A young man at the back of the room raised his arm. His hair was dark blue and neatly parted down the middle while his eyes matched with a lighter, mysterious azure. Hiiragizawa's lean face was accented with a pair of silver-rimmed glasses that made him look very intelligent.

Suddenly...looking at him, Sakura was overcome with some type of emotion that she had never felt before. She couldn't name it but it weighed inside her like a rock. Somehow...as Sakura stared at Hiiragizawa, he seemed to radiate a kind of force. A small unrecognizable voice in her head was telling her that it was blue…a blue force was surrounding him. That only caused Sakura to become more confused.

And suddenly, she knew him.

__

"Sakura-san! Would you like to go to the festival with me? It seems that Li-kun…

Li-kun…

Li-kun…"

Sakura's felt her chest constrict at the mention of that name and tried to breathe. Her head had begun its headache again and she sunk to the ground.

At that moment, Hiiragizawa smiled.

"Miss Kinomoto?" Miss Ling called, concerned. She kneeled down next to the girl, "what's wrong? Does it hurt somewhere?"

"Eh...AH!!" Sakura suddenly discovered that her head didn't hurt anymore. She quickly shot up and laughed nervously, "Nothing wrong! Nothing whatsoever! I'll go to my seat now!"

"Eh…okay…"

She never made it past the first row for an obvious reason. At the last possible moment, Hong stuck her foot out stealthily into the narrow aisle and Sakura, being naturally clumsy, tripped and landed on the floor.

"HOE!!" 

The whole class laughed and the same green-haired boy from earlier said between chuckles, "Not so great now, are you, Miss Japan?"

__

How could they be so cruel? They were almost nice a minute ago…Sakura struggled to get back up, her knees stinging. She felt the tears form her eyes and they were about to fall when a pale hand appeared in front of her face. Sakura looked up to see Hiiragizawa, his hand outstretched and his eyes concerned.

She knew that she could trust him. She just knew.

"Are you all right, Miss Kinomoto?" He asked in the softest, most polite voice she had ever heard. He almost seemed elegant in a way. He reminded her of…

Sakura took his hand and let herself be pulled up, sniffling softly and muttering that she was fine. Hiiragizawa gave a stern look to Hong and said, "Please don't do that anymore."

Hong seemed to be speechless with the finality of his statement.

"Miss Hong," Miss Ling sounded like she was forcing herself to add the honorific, "I'm sure you don't want to visit the office again."

Hong rolled her fiery shaded eyes but slouched in her chair and was silent the rest of the period.

Hiiragizawa led Sakura to her seat as Miss Ling continued the lesson and once there, handed her a small embroidered handkerchief, "Please don't cry, you look cuter when you smile."

For the third time that day, Sakura's face turned red and she dabbed at her face with the light blue handkerchief, saying quietly with a smile in her brilliant eyes, "_Arigato_, Hiiragizawa-kun."

After a moment, a sweat drop rolled down Sakura's head as she realized her mistake. She became flustered and quickly tried again, "_Ano…_I mean…"

Hiiragizawa just smiled and replied, "_Wakarimasu_. Please call me Eriol."

My desire to make this chapter longer was cut off by my mother's desire for me to be at piano lessons on time…^^

Jaa!

DreamerDust


	4. Mistress of the Cards

Whoo…I must be the slowest writer in the world!! ^^

But then again…I was in Costa Rica and was also caught up with watching lots of anime as well as reading many books so I'm very sorry!! How long has it been…? ^^;; Must be like three months…Thanks for all the support after all this time though…I really do try to make this story the best that I can make it.

Now this chapter might seem familiar at some parts but I hope that it becomes somewhat interesting later…^o^

Disclaimer: I don't own anything…except for my ideas so don't steal them.

Key:

Narration

__

Thoughts, dreams, flashbacks, Chinese/Jap words.

E_m_p_h_a_s_i_z_e_d W_o_r_d_s

Japanese//

arra arra… = that's enough…

ai = love (bet you never saw that one coming…^^)

Spirited Away

Chapter Four: Mistress of the Cards

Sakura sunk down lower in her seat, giving up in even trying to understand the lesson. No matter where she was; in Japan or China, physics would always be physics. And Sakura was horrible at physics. The formulas just didn't stick and she could never make any sense out of those laws. To top it off, Hong, whose first name Sakura later found out to be Shenghua (A/N: Say it with me now: Srun…hua…) was acting meaner than ever to Sakura. 

And they had only met for a few hours.

Sakura shuddered, as Shenghua suddenly glared at her, fire burning out her eye sockets in an attempt to harm Sakura without touching her since they did sit a few rows apart. Sakura edged away and wondered again, for the umpteenth time, why that girl hated her so. It wasn't like she had done anything wrong. The jade-eyed girl turned her attention from Miss Ling at front, lecturing them about Newton, and to the outside. The sky was a wonderful, light blue and the sun shone brightly, the clouds floating around in small wisps. Peony blossoms scattered in the breeze, littering the central courtyard with small white petals. 

Sakura longed to be out there…running in the warm sunlight and lying among the soft petals. There, no one could intimidate her or scare her and she could enjoy herself as she pleased. Perhaps she would find someone to share all this with. Someone who could understand her dreams and her doubts. Someone who could tell her exactly what was going on with the—

"Miss Kinomoto!!" 

"Hoe!!" Sakura twisted around as fast as she could, only to topple over on to the ground and receive more raucous laughter. She gingerly rubbed her elbow where it had hit the edge of Eriol's desk but quickly sprang up, trying to ignore all the jeering faces around her.

"Pay attention, please. I would send you to stand in the hallway…but you are new so this time, you only get a warning," Miss Ling informed sternly, her blonde hair strikingly golden in the sunlight from the window. She had crossed her slender arms over her chest.

Sakura bowed her head, "Yes, ma'am."

Miss Ling's violet eyes suddenly softened and she tousled Sakura's short cinnamon hair playfully before returning to the front. Sakura stayed still for a few moments, turning several shades of red before finally sitting down. This didn't improve her relationship with Shenghua one bit; as with the entire class.

"It seems that Miss Ling has taken a liking to you, Kinomoto-san," Eriol whispered to her, leaning towards her.

"Hoe…but I didn't do anything…" Sakura replied, perplexed.

"Maybe you remind her of someone," Eriol said, in a tone that showed that he knew more than he should. His deep eyes seemed to imply something but Sakura, being Sakura, didn't get the message.

"Like who?"

"Who knows," and Eriol smiled that heavenly, innocent smile. He turned back towards the front where Miss Ling was now quizzing a few of the students.

Shenghua tried not to look.

"Are you lying to me?"

"No."

"Seriously?"

"No."

"Sakura-chan. Stop lying."

Sakura sighed, exasperated. Tomoyo never ceased to amaze her; she seemed to cut through all her lies, to read her like an open book, every page easier to decode than the one before.

"To_mo_yo_chan…"

She could hear the self-satisfied grin in her best friend's voice, "I see that I'm right. Again."

"But it's not like they were that bad…"

"Come_on, Sakura-chan…if someone killed you then you wouldn't even care," Tomoyo retorted, exasperated.

"But they must have some kind of reason for killing me…perhaps I was cruel to them…or maybe I teased them."

"Sakura-chan!! Cruel is not even part of your vocabulary…you couldn't act cruel if your life was on the line. And you don't know a single insult."

"Still…" Sakura blushed, embarrassed.

"_Arra_ _arra_…" Tomoyo sighed, "Just tell me about your day. We can have our therapist session later."

"Yes, ma'am," Sakura beamed and began to recap the events of the day, trying hard to leave out things that would prove Tomoyo's point further and trying to sound like she enjoyed her day. 

She failed miserably.

"Miss Ling, the teacher, is really nice to me…but a girl named Shenghua Hong kind of tripped me and everyone was laughing…but it was pretty funny anyway…" Sakura laughed nervously, hoping that her little lie had passed its inspection.

"Sakura-chan…white lies are only good when I use them," Tomoyo commented sardonically.

"Tomoyo-chan!! You worry too much…"

"Shenghua Hong, I think you said? Hmm…I think she's the niece of one of my mother's colleagues. Not the nicest thing on two legs," Tomoyo pondered, "And she either tripped you or she didn't; not "kind of" tripped you. Judging by her character, I'd say she did."

"I wonder why she hates me so much…" Sakura muttered.

"I could hear that, you know," Tomoyo suppressed her giggles to continue soberly, "But it's only natural for her to behave this way. Her father ran off with her _best friend _and her mother died from drug overdose. She's never really had anything worth loving besides her parents and her aunt is going senile. But Shenghua-san…she seriously respected her aunt. I could see that she held her aunt with the highest regards and did anything to please her."

"That's so sad…" Sakura felt tears in her eyes, "and I was being so selfish…wondering why she would dislike people. I feel so bad for her."

"Sakura-chan," Tomoyo's voice came through, sweet and clear, "It's not your fault. Everyone has rough places in their family. It's a way of life." Her amethyst eyes darkened at the thought.

"But then, there was the nicest guy named Hiiragizawa Eriol…" Sakura suddenly remembered, this time feeling more at ease since it wasn't a lie, "He helped me up and even stood up for me! He kind of reminds me of—"

"Does he have blue hair…? And blue eyes? And glasses…silver-rimmed glasses?" Tomoyo's voice was hushed and almost hurried as probably for the first time in her life, she interrupted Sakura.

"Yes…yes he does," Sakura blinked a couple of times before answering, somewhat bewildered, "Do you know him, Tomoyo-chan?"

"Yes…no…maybe…I think so…" Tomoyo trailed off but began once again, "Is his handkerchief blue? With a small white rose embroidered on the top right corner…"

"It was blue…but I don't think I saw a rose…Tomoyo-chan? What's wrong?" Sakura was becoming concerned. How did she know that he had a handkerchief?

"Sakura-chan…I need to tell you something," Tomoyo sounded nervous and scared. Never before in Sakura's life had she ever heard Tomoyo sounding so scared.

"Tomoyo-chan…?"

"I've been…uh…um…nevermind," Tomoyo said quietly but with an abrupt tone, "I have to go. Bye."

Tomoyo hung up and Sakura was left listening to the dial tone.

"Tomo…yo…chan?" Sakura said uncertainly as the tone rang on. She slowly put the phone back in its hook, thoroughly confused and sat in the aged wooden chair. Everything had suddenly become strange. First, there were the ghosts that might not even exist, then the mysterious Eriol, and now…Tomoyo was acting peculiar. Was all of this somehow connected? It didn't make sense at all. Sitting there lost in her thoughts, Sakura didn't notice when the steps of the grand staircase began to creak softly.

__

Sa…kura…

Sakura bolted straight out of her chair so fast that it clattered as it hit the floor. She quickly surveyed her surroundings but nothing struck her as out of ordinary. The dusky sunlight filtering in through the golden curtains and some dishes piled in the sink. But she knew in her heart that she had heard the voice. That slimy, slithery voice that made her feel uneasy and scared. Fear stabbed at her heart just thinking about who or what the voice belonged to.

But Sakura suddenly realized that she had never heard the voice in her life. Why would she be scared of it? However, for some reason, her heart clenched and she just began quaking whenever she thought of that voice. Sakura sneaked a glance at the main hall and that was when she saw it. There was a flash of movement as a dark object streaked up the stairs.

Feeling oddly compelled to follow it, Sakura bounded up the stairs after it, so numbed with fear that she couldn't feel her legs. At the top, the specter flew away once again down the center hall. It almost seemed to be waiting for her…daring her to follow it.

__

Sakura…

Sakura hated that voice. She didn't know why…it just made her feel dirty hearing it. But, Sakura uncertainly trailed behind, completely unaware that the odd shadow of an animal was leading her straight to "her" room.

Sakura suddenly felt different stepping into her room. All the objects there seemed to be crackling with some kind of energy. They almost registered as "alive" in Sakura's mind. She could somehow "sense" where everything was. Sakura realized with a jump that this was the same feeling she felt when she first saw Eriol. This feeling was familiar but strange…calming but terrifying. As if led by invisible hands, Sakura walked towards the wardrobe and opened it. The small, mock-up door was still there but there was no ghost to force her through this time. Sakura heard the voice again.

__

Sakura…use your magic…

Sakura didn't want to listen to the voice…she didn't want to be controlled by it. However, her trembling hands worked by themselves, pressing against the door. A feeling of such power suddenly surged through her body, as Sakura had never felt before. Or had she…? The question disappeared from Sakura's mind as she began to emit a warm, pink light. This time, as she pressed against the fake door, it cleared away, like mist. Sakura couldn't even gasp in surprise as she suddenly submerged herself into the thick cloud and found herself on the other side in a manner of seconds. She reached back with her hand but the wall had already reverted back to solid. Sakura wondered vaguely if that had been her magic before starting up the stairs.

She felt as if she were traveling through a dream…all her thoughts seemed to be sealed behind a veil that she couldn't reach. Had she possibly been here before? Sakura scoured her memory but never had she remembered coming to China before.

Suddenly realizing that she was in the small library once again, Sakura observed the unusually dust-free room more closely and saw that all the walls were covered in ancient Chinese characters. She walked close to one wall and tried to study what they said. However, these were ancient and Sakura had only learned the modern way in her school. She squinted and tried to see the words and she saw that she recognized one of them. Smiling a little triumphantly, Sakura recited:

"_Ai_."

She immediately regretted it as her head began its throbbing once again and an unfamiliar but strangely nostalgic scene entered her head again.

__

"My cards…" Sakura heard a voice say in a sad tone, "I think that I won't be coming back this time. I need to seal you now but please take care of yourselves…" Sakura noticed that this person was sitting in the exact same small library except everything looked much newer.

Sakura watched in awe as a large number of golden, shining rectangular shapes floated in the air. The objects seemed to be slowly rotating around the girl, as if comforting her. Then, almost reluctantly, the shapes glided into the book. The person closed the book and Sakura saw a tear fall on to the gilded cover. She felt so sorry for the girl…

A yell suddenly traveled up to the room. It was deep, demanding…calling for the girl. The girl looked up, frightened, and hurriedly ran down the stairs, past Sakura. She passed through the magical door without hesitation and Sakura was left there with the book. Sakura looked down and saw that on the cover was a large pink star in an intriguing design. She reached down to touch it…

Just as Sakura's fingers were about to graze the spine, her mind was rudely tugged back to the present. The girl stood there, blinking and dazed before looking down at the location where the book had been. Now, there only stood a dark, wooden table with nothing on it but a cracked flower vase. Sakura turned back to the wall where the Chinese character had been.

And was surprised to find that it was gone.

She observed the spot more carefully, thinking that she may have made a mistake. But after a few minutes of searching, the result was clear: the character had seemingly disappeared, leaving a small blank spot. She touched the wall with her fingers but met only smooth oak wood. Sakura's eyes widened and she collapsed on the ground. This was entirely too much for her…first ghosts, strange classmates, and an even stranger best friend. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to forget all that had happened in the past few days but it was to no avail. 

__

Maybe I should tell Otou-san…Sakura opened that option in her mind. Her father would be concerned and quickly ship her and Touya back to Japan, interrupting his own studies to stay with them. _No…no!! _She chided herself, _Otou-san deserves this opportunity! I can't ruin it for him. Come what ghosts or mysteries…I won't tell him._

Sakura slowly opened her jade eyes and was quickly overcome with a need for the book in her "vision". That pink and gold book was very important to her, although the reason still eluded her. She wandered around the small library for what seemed like a very long time and was about to give up when such a wave of sadness hit her that she had to keep searching. Sakura checked each bookcase and every piece of furniture in the room but still could not find the book. She finally plopped down at the table in front of the painting and sighed, feeling utterly exhausted. Sakura felt so frustrated and angry that tears welled up in her eyes; why couldn't she just find the book? She wiped her eyes, surprised at the emotion that she was feeling. Why did she need that book so badly? Did this have anything to do with the gh—

A strong presence suddenly pierced her thoughts and she stood up hastily, the chair she was sitting on teetering dangerously. This presence…could it be the book? Sakura closed her eyes to get a better sense of where exactly the book was. Like a compass, she turned around to face where she believed that the book was. Her emerald eyes opened and with a start, she realized that she was facing the dust-caked painting. Sakura reached up to touch the painting and it suddenly swung open, as if on a hinge. Behind it was a small shelf filled with books that, unlike the other books in the library, were utterly slathered with dust.

Sakura reached forward and as if a magnetic force was attracting her slim fingers, they touched the book that was sandwiched smack dab in the middle of all the books. She felt a sudden warmth flood through her entire being and pulled the book out from in between the other books. Sakura looked down and saw that the book she was holding was exactly what she had envisioned. On the front was a complex design containing a star that was gilded in what was apparently pure gold. Behind the gilded design was a blushing pink background. But what was most surprising was that right there on the bottom middle part of the cover was inscribed the name "SAKURA".

Sakura, feeling more secure that the book had her name on it, reached over to the clasp and gently opened the book. Looking down, she saw that this was no ordinary book. Where pages normally were was a hole containing a deck of odd, narrow cards. The design on their backs seemed to be the same design as seen on the cover. Sakura lifted a card and turned it around to see a finely illustrated picture of a strange being that was wearing a cape and had unusually styled hair. She averted her eyes down to the bottom of the card and read the English letters…

"Win…dy."

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind from seemingly nowhere whirled in and before Sakura could stop it, began scattering the cards out of the book. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut to keep the cards from paper-cutting her eyeballs. But if she had kept her eyes open, she would have seen that the cards were not just flying around her…they were glowing and disappearing.

She also would have seen the circular symbol glowing gold under her feet.

Sakura gritted her teeth to keep from crying out. Everything was just so confusing…where did this wind come from? What in the world was happening?

__

BAM.

It was a while before Sakura realized that the wind had stopped and everything was still. She opened her eyes a crack and saw that the book had somehow closed. She let out a sigh of relief, opening her eyes fully.

Only to see Syaoran Li standing in front of her.

The past young master of the house had an especially ugly scowl on his face and even though he was translucent, Sakura could see that he was trembling. With rage, perhaps.

"I-I…I…"

"W-What are you doing here?!" His voice was so loud and tense even as hollow as it was. His famous piercing amber eyes stabbed through her heart, deeper with every second.

Sakura tried again to say something, "I…"

"Look what you've done!" Syaoran went on furiously, "I told you to stay away! But you had to come and mess everything up again, did you?! You almost lost half the cards!"

Sakura looked down mutely, her fingers bone-white against the warm pink and gold of the mystical book.

"I can't stand having you here! Just…just LEAVE!!" He finally burst out, his eyes blazing hell at her.

Sakura quickly obliged, clutching the book tightly, and disappeared down the stairs. Her soft, light footsteps pattered daintily before gradually disappearing.

Meiling suddenly materialized, her expression sad and wistful.

"Syaoran, why do you have to be like this?" She asked, her scarlet eyes directed at him critically.

Syaoran clenched his fists and looked down, a drastic contrast from a few moments ago, saying quietly, "It has to be this way…it's the only way…I don't want…" He began to tremble, "I don't want her to…"

"I don't think that this is the best way," Meiling said curtly, looking pointedly at a spot on the floor. She crossed her arms over her chest.

Syaoran suddenly noticed a damp spot in the wooden floor where Sakura had been standing. Realization dawned on him.

"Damn…" The glare on his face melted away and his amber eyes became pained and torn with shame.

"I made her cry".

Ergh…I am disgusted with this chapter…- . -

But…

What can you do? ^_^ 

Please only review for this if you have time or desperately want to tell me something; I really don't want to cause trouble for all you nice people. Well then…see you next time I update! ^-^

DreamerDust


	5. Konnyanachiwa!

I'll cut the crap. I hope the people who were reading this are still interested, though… ^^ Also, there's some cussing in here… Before "OOC" flashes in your mind remember that our little CCS characters can't stay all innocent forever. ^___^

Disclaimer: CCS belongs to CLAMP and Kodansha. 

Key:

Narration

__

Thoughts, dreams, flashbacks, Chinese/Jap words.

E_m_p_h_a_s_i_z_e_d W_o_r_d_s

****

………… = scene change

****

Spells, incantations, etc.

Japanese// I hope I'm not using too many Japanese words……. TT - TT

Konnyanachiwa! = Hello! (in Osaka-ben)

-san = honorific used to show respect or for people older than you

Osaka-ben = Osaka dialect; a bit different from the "normal" Japanese you hear

etto… = umm…

Itai… = oww…

-chan = honorific used to address someone very familiarly and friendly

Otou-san = father

-kun = honorific used for people of the same level as you, mainly for males

takoyaki = octopus balls that are normally made in Japan but this is my fic so there!!! *sticks out tongue* Kero-chan really likes to eat this. ^^

Spirited Away

Chapter Five: Konnyanachiwa!

"Huh? Where'd Sakura go?" Touya asked as he took out a plate at Fujitaka's request. His dark eyes had spotted a figure rush out the front door in the front hall.

"Hmm…maybe Sakura-san left something at school…" Fujitaka looked up from the various vegetables on the cutting board to ponder, "As long as she's home by dinner time then it's okay".

"Whatever", Touya shrugged and handed the light blue plate to his father.

****

…………

Sakura slowed down as she reached Hong Kong Central Park. The sun had already begun to dip below the horizon so the large public playground, bathed in orange light, was nearly empty. Sakura collapsed in a bench, panting hard as she tried to ease her breathing. But the tears continued to flow.

"I'm…so stupid…" She whispered as she tightened her grasp on the book. Her eyes welled up with hot, new tears as she recalled the murderous expression on Syaoran's face. He hated her. Sakura could feel that he did not want her at the house at all. And because she had read that card, the wind had come and scattered some of his cards so now they were lost. It was all her fault…

Sakura didn't know why…but she wanted to belong at that the house. That large, cavernous mansion somehow seemed like a home to her. And she wanted Syaoran to welcome her and smile when she made some careless error. It hurt so much to know that he was furious with her.

"I'm sorry…Li-san…" Sakura said softly, her jade eyes full of sadness. She hadn't meant for Syaoran's cards to fly away like that. But now, it was too late. The cards were gone and Syaoran wanted her to just wither away and die. She wouldn't dare go back to that mansion.

Sakura felt that she must have spent hours at the park for the horizon had already become swathed with violet shades when she looked up again. Only the silhouette of the playground remained visible. Suddenly she quickly stood up, exclaiming, "This is terrible! I'm going to be late for dinner!!" 

Sakura started walking in the direction of the mansion but abruptly stopped. _What if the ghost is still mad at me?_ The question echoed abjectly in her mind. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice that she had left the book back at the bench. Or else, she would have seen the book glow bright gold as a small shape emerged from its cover.

__

Should I go…? Should I not go…? Otou-san would be mad at me, but Li-san is already made at me…Ahh!! What should I—

"Stupid Li… locking me up in the attic where I couldn't get out…"

Sakura became aware of some type of murmuring above her but absorbed in her thoughts, she didn't think too much of it until…

"Ah-_Konnyanachiwa_!"

"HOE!!!" Sakura cried in terror.

The sudden sound of an _Osaka_-_ben_ greeting jerked Sakura out of her miserable pondering. She looked up to see the strangest creature she had ever seen, tripping over a small rock in the process. She ungracefully crashed to the ground.

"_Itai_…" she winced. Sakura had been falling quite a bit these past few days. Staggering back up clumsily, she turned back to the task at hand. It—she wasn't sure what gender the creature was—looked to be a stuffed lion cub with wings hovering just inches from her face. At the sight of Sakura's face, the stuffed animal's expression suddenly became quite shocked, judging from the dilation of its small beady eyes.

"Y-You really are the mistress…" The creature breathed. It seemed clearly shaken.

But now, Sakura was confused. "Mistress"? What kind of mistress was she supposed to be? And what did he mean by saying she really was her?

"Um… _etto_…" Sakura wasn't sure how to answer.

The small stuffed animal suddenly looked a bit sad and said, in a much more mellow tone, "I'm Keroberus, guardian of the cards." Then, as if he (Sakura decided that it was probably male from his name) did not want to keep talking, he stared downwards silently.

"Keroberus…" Sakura felt an odd emotion at the name, "this might sound odd to you, but…" she blushed as she asked, "can I call you Kero_-chan_?"

Kero blinked and with amazing speed, zoomed down to her face and wrapped his pudgy arms around her cheek, exclaiming in joy, "Of course!! Please call me that!!" Sakura giggled at the feeling of soft fur on her face.

__

I haven't been called that in a long time.

****

…………

Kero sat back down at the bench, his face set in deep thought and Sakura followed suit. The wind whistled autumn-stained leaves to dance around the two. Sakura felt so at ease with Kero-chan. She closed her eyes and the sweet wind swept across her face.

"Sakura…" he began, his cotton ball tail waving back and forth, "I want you tell me exactly how you got here and received that book."

"Okay," Sakura replied, opening her eyes. She recounted how her father had been invited to an excavation site, how she had encountered so many strange things since arriving here, and finally, with a hint of deep sadness in her voice, how Syaoran had found her with the book and demanded her to leave.

As Sakura neared the end of her tale, tears once again threatened to roll down her cheeks and Kero remembered how her eyes had already been red when they had met.

"…And I don't know why… but I feel so useless and pathetic because he hates me…" Sakura ended softly, her face wet with her grief. Her fingers were still clutched tightly around the book with her name etched on it. Tears had cascaded on to the smooth, gilded cover and were sliding off like raindrops.

Kero tried not to smile but he knew exactly what Li Syaoran was trying to do and knew that it definitely would not work. The small guardian lifted Sakura's face in his small paws and looked into her enchanting jade eyes.

"He does NOT hate you. He could never. It may not seem like it right now but that's a fact. You told me that you live in the mansion, right? Well, you need to return home for sure, so you can't stay here. Your father and brother would worry," Kero reasoned. Sakura nodded slowly.

But suddenly Sakura caught on to something Kero had said, "Kero-chan… how did you know I had a brother? I don't think I mentioned it…" She trailed off, wondering when she had let that slip.

Kero became flustered, "Ahahaha… I just guessed. Lucky guess." He laughed nervously. Sakura still looked doubtful but decided to drop it.

Kero continued, "There is no reason at all why that kid—"

"You still call him that?"

Kero froze as Sakura realized what she had unconsciously blurted out.

"I d-don't know… I-I just… keep talking Kero-chan," Sakura stammered, averting her eyes to the ground. Kero looked at her for a moment before continuing. He didn't call Syaoran a kid for the rest of the conversation.

"Li does not own that book. It is not his to own. That book," Kero looked up to meet the bewildered emeralds of the true owner, "belongs to you. You are the Mistress of the Sakura Cards."

"Mistress of the Sakura Cards? Those cards in the book with my name on them?" Sakura repeated.

"Yes," Kero nodded, "Those cards possess many different powers that you, their mistress, can harness."

"Okay…" Sakura somehow found this easy to accept and understand, along with the 8-inch tall creature floating in front of her face. She nodded to show her comprehension.

"Now take out the necklace you have," Kero instructed hurriedly. He almost seemed excited.

"My mother's necklace?"

"No," Kero said seriously, "it's yours."

"Okay, I suppose," Sakura lifted it up from where she hid it under her shirt, the familiar ruby eye greeting her warmly. Kero seemed to study it a moment before speaking.

"Now Sakura, close your hand around the pendant and concentrate your magic into it," Kero said casually.

"Magic?" Sakura's eyes widened.

"You've done it before," Kero replied calmly.

"That's right," Sakura said, remembering that strange night in her room, although she now knew that the room was not hers alone. Sakura squeezed the bird head in her hand and concentrated all her willpower into it. Her eyes closed and she clenched her teeth, trying with all her might. After a while, she opened her eyes to check and was dismayed to find that nothing had happened.

Kero sighed, "You're trying too hard."

"Really?" Sakura relaxed and suddenly her heartbeat seemed stronger and pulsated with power. Pink light streamed through her fingers and she gasped. When the light died down, Sakura opened her hands to find that the pendant was no longer a bird head but was now a shining golden star encircled by a pink ring, from which small white wings had sprouted.

"Wha-why-where?" Sakura stammered, flabbergasted.

"The key lost power when the original owner…um…died…and reverted back to its old form with some magic lent from others. The cards never lost power because a lot of power had been bestowed to them," Kero smiled mysteriously at Sakura. He knew she understood.

"So now I can use the cards by calling forth the wand from this key?" Sakura asked, surprised at her sudden burst of confidence.

Kero crossed his arms across his chest smugly, "I knew you needed no explanation."

****

…………

"You need to apologize!! You can't live with yourself otherwise!" Shimmering black thread waved around in fury as an angry voice resounded. Hazy light sliced through lacy curtains, hitting tall, old bookcases. Dust hung like fog in the stale air.

"No… I can't… I can't… " A strong hand clenched into a fist as a sad, quiet voice replied.

"You want to! I know it!" The first voice insisted.

"I wish I could… but things are different. It's different now," The second resisted. A yellowed piece of paper was crumpled by an unseen force and dropped to the ground.

"You'll kill yourself this way." The first voice had lowered to a concerned whisper.

A sardonic grin, "I'm already dead".

Ruby eyes flashed, "No… this will be worse. I know what you're trying to do but like Kero-chan said, it won't work!"

Downstairs, Touya glanced upwards, puzzled. He had thought, for a fleeting moment, that he had heard voices from above him. His large hands momentarily stopped his work at the chopping board.

"Did Sakura come back already?"

****

…………

"Your friend Tomoyo, eh?" Kero asked as he and Sakura walked along. He let another smile slip. The dimming day threw odd shadows across the small beaten road they walked on. This road had been here for hundreds of years…

"Yup!" Sakura grinned at the memory of her beautiful associate, "we do everything together! However… Tomoyo-chan is a bit… Mmm…" Sakura put a finger to her chin.

"Peculiar?" Kero supplied, quirking an eyebrow (or where one should be).

Sakura laughed, "Exactly! She always wants to design my cloths and everything! Tomoyo-chan even TAPES me wearing them with her video camera!" She covered her face bashfully, "Wahh!! That is so embarrassing!! But her designs are very magnificent… I'm sure she'll do great things one day." Sakura looked up and smiled wistfully, playing with the hem of her white jacket, which of course Tomoyo had manufactured herself.

Kero hovered along, just listening quietly. But inside, he was feeling as excited as can be. Everything was just as it had been. Except that he had no idea what a video camera was.

Sakura's steps abruptly cut short.

Kero jerked himself out of a bit of nostalgia to demand, "What is it?"

"Kero-chan… this feeling…" Sakura was staring hard at a spot above her. Her hands were clenched and she was slightly trembling, "I've felt this before. There was something leading me to the book… something I disliked. And it's here right now".

****

…………

"Hmm… " Touya looked on agitatedly at his food, his head propped in one hand. He looked up at his father to see him also staring at the steaming dishes before them, his hands folded in his lap.

"I think I should…" Both men began at the same time.

Fujitaka chuckled, "Go ahead and eat, Touya-kun. I'll go find Sakura-san. I'm sure she just lost track of time".

"No…"

"Ah… it's quite fine, Touya_-kun_," Fujitaka assured him as he stood up, "I'll just be a while".

"No, wait. _Otou-san_…" Touya shot up from his chair and knocked it over, leaving it to clatter on to the floor.

"Eh-what is it, Touya-kun?" Fujitaka was a bit surprised at his behavior. He knew the boy had a sister complex but this was completely different. Touya's eyes were so frightened.

"I've got a feeling… just a feeling… " Touya clenched his teeth and before his father could stop him, dashed to the main hall and out the door. A pair of amber jewels followed him.

****

…………

"Sakura! Wait!" Kero zoomed after Sakura's fleeting figure. For a human, she sure could run. As he flew along, all he could see was the failing, flickering sunlight on Sakura's auburn hair to lead his way.

Sakura ran as fast as she was able to away, leading her further and further away from the Li Mansion and into a maze of alleys and streets. She ran on, feeling as if her lungs would burst, and did not slow down. Sakura felt that she needed to capture this strange shadow before it caused anymore trouble for people other than her. It… this creature did not belong to this world. She had to confront it somehow and make sure that it didn't cause any harm to anyone.

Sakura could no longer sense Kero's presence after running through a mess of abandoned shops and markets. Finally, she skidded to a stop outside of a narrow alley and peered around the corner. The sky had deepened to a dark indigo blue, allowing little light to let Sakura see. She saw only blurry outlines of crates covered with canvas cloth. The stink of fish wafted up from this stack and made Sakura feel extremely queasy.

Sakura covered her nose with her sleeve and cautiously made her way into the darkness. She bumped along the rough brick walls to find her way forward. Just as Sakura felt that she needed a light, a glance at the glittering jewel in her hand jolted an incantation into her head. Unsure of where she had learned this, Sakura put her hands out in front of her, with the star key resting in them, and commanded:

****

The key that holds the power of the stars.

Reveal your true form to me.

I, Sakura, commands thee under contract.

Release!

Sakura felt a large surge of warmth envelop her entire body and her key grew so bright that it hurt her eyes. The light felt soft in her fingers and pulled the small key into a staff that was slightly longer than her arm, and weighed many times less than her cheerleading baton. The light died down and Sakura studied this new instrument, with its gleaming cream pink body and the beautiful gilded star on top. The same ruby seen in the wand's small key form continued to wink at her. Although the alley was almost devoid of light, the magical baton in Sakura's hand glowed with a light of its own, making everything about this day so mystical. 

Sakura expertly twirled the star wand in her hands and not realizing that she had taken the book of Sakura cards with her, grabbed a card and tossed it into the air. She swung the wand up and pointed the star at the card.

"GLOW!" Sakura commanded, "light up my way!"

The pink card gradually melted away as a small girl that greatly resembled a firefly shot out from it in a shower of sparks. The firefly girl rose into the sky and raised her arms to shower small dots of light down to the earth. The dusk was instantly lit up and looked truly like a wonderland. People in the marketplace stopped their bargaining to glance up at the strange, light snow that was neither cold nor melted on the ground. This snow that was falling a full three months before winter would come.

Sakura stared wide-eyed at what she done and could not think of a single thing to say.

****

…………

Kero floated cautiously among the feet of the people at the market, looking for any sign of a short crop of cinnamon hair but found none. What he did see were vendors laden with all types of merchandise. From fresh fish to jewelry and from school supplies to clothing, this open market had it all, especially crowds. Kero tried to suppress his pangs of hunger but was starting to lose control. Being locked up in a book for a long, long time could do that to you. As thoughts slipped away from Sakura and to wondering what he could pilfer from one of the stands, an aroma reached his small nose that he could have smelled from a mile away.

The smell of _takoyaki_.

A metamorphosis occurred. Kero's black eyes suddenly became bright, his tail lifted off the ground, his limbs were bestowed with new energy, and his five senses were greatly magnified. He spent a few moments searching for a stand of his heavenly snack and spotted it about 100 yards away. He zoomed off towards the takoyaki stand.

As Kero drew closer, the scent made his mouth water and his eyes clouded with the vision of a feast. A crazed grin spread over his small face and he accelerated. The vendor wouldn't know what hit him.

But Kero didn't know what had hit him either. He flew straight into what seemed to be an invisible barrier and crashed to the ground. The faces of children enjoying takoyaki seemed to sneer at him.

"Ahhhhh… takoyaki…" Kero reached his small paw upwards shakily from the ground at a last attempt to grasp his treasure.

"Stop being so dramatic, stupid stuffed animal." A smooth male voice broke Kero's thoughts and he lost all his energy. He sighed and followed the voice to a corner where the two wouldn't be seen.

"I'm so hungry…kid…" Kero managed to say in his best I'm-a-good-guardian-and-I'm-hungry-so-you-should-feed-me voice, "and I hate you because you still have magic even though you're dead."

"Damn glutton," Syaoran Li replied. He glared down at the guardian of the cards icily.

"Whaaat? I can't help it you—" Suddenly Kero's eyes went as wide as they could when he set his priorities in order again and gasped, "Sakura!"

Syaoran's expression suddenly changed from annoyed and angry to concerned and extremely angry in a single moment, "I'm looking for her! Where is she?!"

"Well… that is, I'm looking for her too," Kero replied as Syaoran stiffened, "She ran—" 

Suddenly Kero looked smug and gave Syaoran what looked like a purely evil smile. He hovered over to a brick jutting out from the wall and sat down, ignoring Syaoran.

"WELL?!" Syaoran ranted.

"I thought that it was all HER fault… I thought SHE was the one who messed everything up… I thought you wanted her to GO AWAY…" Kero listed the ideas that Syaoran had dictated to Sakura back in the attic, "Now since it seems that you hate her, why are you now going after her?"

"That was—I mean—It's not—!" Syaoran stammered, turning bright red. He averted his eyes to the ground.

"For the head of the Li Clan and an expert in swordsmanship and martial arts, kid," Kero smirked, "you sure SUCK at lying."

Syaoran allowed a small smile to creep across his face, "I…I know. How could I ever hate Sakura? It's Sakura, for God's sake. But…" He looked at Kero, "I have to do this. Keep it a secret, okay?"

"Sure, kid".

"Damn toy."

"Go back to hell."

"ANYWAY," Syaoran said, exasperatedly, "we should go look for Sakura. What DID she run after?"

"I don't know," Kero said, frowning, "but she muttered something about it being the same thing that led her to the book."

At those words, Syaoran's translucent eyes widened.

"Oh God. We have to find her!" Syaoran closed his eyes for a split-second and suddenly knew where Sakura was.

"She's that way!" The phantom pointed over at a man who was distributing fish to a bunch of women and yelling "FISH FOR CHEAP!" at the top of his lungs. 

"Your aura powers are still pretty good," Kero commented but Syaoran's chestnut eyes had narrowed dangerously as he noticed a glowing snowfall drifting from the sky.

"It's Sakura! She's using her powers! This is BAD!" And with that, Syaoran sped off towards the fish stand.

"Right behind ya, kid!" Kero followed after and they zoomed through the crowd. The alley corner became silent again.

Shenghua stared in disbelief as her grocery bag slipped to the ground. She stood still; the strange snow continued to fall around her and also where she had just witnessed a strange spectacle. A cabbage tumbled out of the bag but she paid no attention to it.

Had she just seen a small flying bear talking to… Syaoran Li?

Hehe… I kinda took long with this one. *grin* But I hope some people liked it anyway. I DO enjoy writing this but I am also REALLY LAZY. So until next time…..(who knows when that will be) ^____________^

~DreamerDust


	6. The Dark Rises

EDIT 7.26.05: I reread this chapter and the part where Jin gets all weak has always bothered me so I changed it slightly. Old readers might want to quickly skim through to check what was changed (a tiny bit of conversation between Jin and Sakura which just makes Jin sound more confident) and new readers can just ignore this message! Just know that it's quite a bit less corny than before. XDD Also a bit of dialogue between Syaoran and Meiling at the end was changed because my plot changed a bit. :P

OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH! I'm updating! Oo So very very sorry about not updating sooner. I'll bet you thought I'd died, or given up, or would provide some lame excuse about being busy. But actually, this chapter contains a fight scene and I'd pretty much never written a fight scene before so it took months of reading action stories before I was able to come up with this spit of a battle. I hope it's somewhat satisfactory. But one can only hope.

Disclaimer: Oh wow! holds up certificate I have been accepted into CLAMP so now I own Card Captor Sakura! grins broadly

Yes. The truth hurts.

Key:

Narration

_Thoughts, dreams, flashbacks_

EMPHASIZED WORDS

**… … … …** scene change

**Spells, incantations, etc.**

Japanese/

Hoe! DON'T tell me you don't know what this means… shakes head Any decent CCS fan should know that this is Sakura's little trademark cry. Pronounced "hoy!" not "ho!".

-chan honorific used for/among girls, childish endearments

-san honorific for respect towards/among older people or a sort-of default among peers

Onii-chan older brother

Spirited Away

Chapter Six: Card Captor Once Again

Sakura was in a dire situation.

She thought that by lighting up the alley, she could probably see whatever she was following. But Sakura was badly mistaken. Now, she could not see what she was following but she knew that the thing she was chasing could see her. Sakura nervously tightened her grip on her wand but it no longer brought comfort to her racing heart. It simply prodded deeper into her the fact that she had no idea what to do.

_Think, think! _She chided herself. But with thoughts of thinking flashing through your head, you don't get much done.

By now, Sakura had come to realize that the little dots of light falling from the sky were growing fewer and fewer and that meant her time to do whatever it was she was trying to do was limited. Sakura had also become aware of a low, ragged breathing coming from somewhere around her. It sounded dark and full of a longing that frightened her greatly.

It was him.

But how to find him? Sakura's panicked thoughts collided in one another as she wracked her brain for a strategy. But beneath all the chaos, she discovered that she also felt strangely calm and in that calm, a nagging feeling told her that the evil deity was behind a pile of craters roughly 10 feet away from her. But she felt too scattered to act upon that instinct and could only stand there petrified.

So it was he who made the first move.

A small spark suddenly appeared in front of Sakura's feet and she nimbly stepped away but barely dodged it when it enlarged into a great bubble the size of a car and destroyed everything inside, creating a crater in the ground. Sakura sat panting and feeling faint when she saw another spark coming her way. She scrambled back up to her feet and was about to run when she saw that she would be running right into the crowd. Sakura would never endanger innocent people. Ever.

She then resorted to, as the spark came closer, fending them off with the first idea that popped into her head. Sakura raised her star wand and hit the spark as hard as she could back to where it came from, baseball-style. The bright yellow star struck the spark squarely and it sped back towards the crates and enlarged just in time to take a large bite out of the pile.

_This could work. Everything will be fine!_, Sakura thought, reciting her motto in her head. She resumed a baseball stance again only to look up and see as many as 20 sparks flying towards her.

"HOE!" cried Sakura as she fumbled through the cards in the book and finally brought out the desired card. She quickly thrust the card in the air and swung her wand back where it promptly pointed towards the pink rectangle and caused to glow. If she couldn't run right (the sparks) or left (there were innocent people), there was only one way to go.

Up.

"JUMP!" Sakura shouted to the brisk evening air. With thankful alacrity, small wings appeared at her ankles and she shot upwards. And with no time to spare as the sparks all expanded into their respective spheres and obliterated the ground where she had just stood, creating a hole with a radius of ten feet.

Sakura gulped shakily and collapsed on to a nearby roof. She lay there panting when suddenly, a dark shadow hovered up in front of her, landing on the edge of the roof. Sakura quickly scrambled to her feet, eyes wide in fear as she surveyed her pursuer. He seemed to be a creature the stature of an average man and covered with a billowing cloak. Most features were hidden in a strange black aura that appeared to surround him. The bloody sunset behind him gave the specter a frightful lurid glow.

If anything, he looked a whole lot like the grim reaper.

Discarding the morbid thought of death coming to visit her, Sakura summoned her courage and asked, "Who are you?"

A sick, happy laugh escaped the foul being's mouth and he replied in a soft silvery voice that chilled the air like a thick frost, "You don't remember?"

Why was it that everyone assumed that she "remembered" something like this?

"W-what are you talking about?" Sakura nearly squeaked. "I've never met you in my life!" She noted with growing unease that the sky was turning a rather dark shade of violet now, the sun being nearly sunk under the hills. There was barely any glow fall in the air anymore.

The being allowed one last twisted chuckle before saying, "Still clueless as ever, eh? Well… I'll tell you again then, to refresh your memory."

Sakura wanted to jump away right then and there but something seemed to glue her legs down to that roof. She wanted to know because an impulse in her made her think that it could provide the missing link in all this chaos. The dark link to all this chaos.

"My name, dear Sakura… is Jin!" Serpent-like eyes widened maniacally and the wind whipped his cloak around like a flag.

Sakura screamed.

Excruciating pain throbbed through entire body and flooded her senses. Her very nerves seemed to crackle with electricity and a new feeling of hate and fear began to grow. She felt different and distant as her wand clattered to the ground. Suddenly her eyes glowed a sparkling green and Sakura stood up straight, more confident. But she was no longer Sakura Kinomoto of Tomoeda in the 21st century.

She was Sakura Kinomoto of 1803.

"Jin," Sakura said heavily, as if the name alone weighed her down. Her face held a look of anger but also its own share of sorrow. She had the look of having been through life one too many times.

"Well, well, THIS is the Sakura I know," Jin must have smiled his ghastly smile again in the dark for Sakura felt it puncture her senses. She narrowed her eyes at her and he continued, "Your seal wasn't as strong as you thought, huh, little cherry blossom?"

"You're wrong, Jin!" Sakura's eyes were bitter emeralds and she glared in disgust at the nickname. "I made it weak on purpose so I could come back and finish what I started so long ago."

Jin roared with laughter and Sakura quickly picked up her wand, clenching it in anger. The wind made her hair flurry around her face. The sky was mostly dark now.

"You FOOL!" Jin burst out raucously, "what of the current Sakura Kinomoto? Will she disappear from this world?"

"No…" Sakura smiled determinedly, "I am she. She is I. We will become one and we will defeat you! I know she would feel the same."

Jin laughed and laughed and laughed, his ugly voice making Sakura squirm.

"Ha ha ha… I've missed you, my dear Sakura," he said in a gleeful tone, "I've been waiting for you all this time, you know. And THIS if the perfect chance to gain what I've always wanted!" His aura whirled hungrily, "So get ready to DIE!" Jin charged full speed at her, his venom eyes gleaming and his arm glowing with destruction.

Sakura's eyes widened, she hadn't expected this. With this body, she definitely couldn't destroy someone as powerful as Jin. And if he could get her weak enough, he could take her precious powers! But she had no choice.

She found, in horror, that her elemental cards were all gone and she could only make a split-second alternate pick. A magenta card was flung into the air and its name called out.

"Sword! Sharpen my wand to a blade that is true!" At those words, the rather friendly looking wand was transformed into a lean, supple gilded katana that looked a quite frightening match with the glass-green glittering eyes of a very angry Sakura.

She barely dodged Jin's sleek pummel but managed to parry a chunk of cloth off his cloak, and a look of astonishment tensed his aura. She then backed her hilt hard, expecting to meet the back of his head and knock him unconscious but met only cold night air. Sakura spun, bewildered, when a hard blow to HER head knocked her down, and stars spun in front of her eyes.

The dull ache in her head made it hard to think and she could only gape as the Jin's sharp claws came closer and closer…

The strength that had erupted from within slipped away.

And she knew only darkness.

**… … … …**

Sakura awoke to a flurry of quiet voices conversing near her. Her head was crawling with pain and everywhere else on her body felt quite sore as well. As her eyes slid open, she found that she was lying on the ground and the sky was very dark now, a sheet of black satin embedded with rhinestone stars. Buildings enclosed her on one side and she seemed to be on a small walkway. Unable to move her head and therefore couldn't see who was talking, she could only stare upwards and try to collect her thoughts but they only came as fragments.

_…cherry blossom…_

_We will become one!_

_…disappear from the world?_

_You're wrong!_

_Jin…_

_Syaoran… kun…!_

At this Sakura suddenly cried out in pain and the voices near her abruptly silenced. Meiling hesitantly glided over to Sakura's view and looked down at her, an extremely concerned expression etched in her features.

Sakura felt a fear grow again staring at the specter (trying to ignore the trees she could see through her) but a look at the ultimately deep worried scarlet eyes calmed her racing heart.

"M-Meiling-chan…?" Sakura managed a strained stutter. Somehow she didn't care for much formality at that moment.

Tears of relief actually appeared in those ruby eyes and they disappeared into thin air as they fell. Meiling's voice came shaky and quiet and she said, "Kinomoto-san! Thank everything good that you're all right!"

"Meiling-chan," Sakura smiled brightly, despite the pain it pierced through her temples, "Thank you for your concern."

Meiling smiled back and then look back over her shoulder at someone Sakura couldn't see and motioned for that person to come over. Kero first appeared over Meiling's shoulder and peered down with worried beady eyes.

"Sakura, it was all my fault! If only I had stayed with you, then this wouldn't have happened!" He looked so desolate that Sakura had to reach up, ignoring the tremendous energy it was taking out of her, and pat his soft head.

"It's okay, Kero-chan… everything will be just fine!" Sakura's eyes shone gratefully.

Suddenly Sakura tilted her head as she heard a distant sound calling her name.

"What is it, Kinomoto-san?" Meiling eyes sharpened as she looked in the same direction that Sakura had tilted her head in.

Sakura smiled a small smile, "Ah, it's just Onii-chan. You guys better hide before he sees you." Kero heeded her words and zipped off behind a tree but Meiling just stayed there, kneeling.

"Meiling-chan? Why don't you go? Onii-chan will see you!" Sakura began to sound worried herself.

"Oh, just watch," Meiling grinned at Sakura.

Heavy footsteps came pounding on the asphalt to where Sakura lay and a voice weighed down with fatigue and yes, worry, yelled out one last time, "Sakura!"

"Onii-chan," Sakura responded weakly. She smiled a bit at him.

"Sakura! What the hell happened!" Touya kneeled down next to his sister right next to Meiling and looked incredulously down at her. Sakura looked absolutely dumbfounded.

"Oh, I went to school to get a book I had forgotten and on the way, I tripped and hit my head," Sakura overcame her surprise and quickly crafted a story, "It hurt so much but no one came by this way and I couldn't get anywhere."

"You IDIOT!" Touya cursed but Sakura knew he was just, once again, worried. He gingerly picked her up and seemed to squint at where Meiling was sitting, but deciding that it was his imagination, he walked off towards the Li mansion.

Meiling floated over next to Sakura's ear and whispered:

"He can't see us!"

And before Sakura could ask anything back or widen her eyes in surprise, she disappeared without a trace.

**… … … …**

"Syaoran… why didn't you even go over to see her?" Meiling sat down next to Syaoran on a stone bench back a few feet from Sakura had lain a while ago, "After all, you did save her. Wouldn't you want to see if she was okay?"

"She was talking. She must be okay," A flat answer came. Meiling stared tersely at his face before she suddenly sprung up out of the bench.

"Stupid stupid stupid cousin!" Meiling rose to her full height in front of Syaoran's bowed head and slapped his face as hard as she could. Of course ghosts could touch each other.

Syaoran looked up with bewildered mahogany eyes, stunned beyond words. It didn't hurt, because ghosts couldn't feel pain, but he knew that in real life, it would have hurt. Very much.

"I don't know what's wrong with you!" Meiling looked at him with bitter eyes, "You don't understand Kinomoto-san's feelings at all!"

This time, it was Syaoran's turn to rise tall, and he stood a good four inches above Meiling, but she seemed completely unfazed.

"Meiling," He started darkly, his eyes so full of pain that Meiling had to soften just a little, "How can you understand what I'm trying to do! Much less what Sa- what SHE is thinking!" He had bit back her name just in time. Or else he would have really lost his mind.

"But just YOU think about it!" Meiling exclaimed, "What can you gain from doing this! What do you _hope_ to gain from doing this!"

She stood waiting for an answer as Syaoran remained silent and then her eyes bore into him, full of emotion, "I feel the same empty feeling in my heart that you feel… I couldn't bear it if you made it feel worse for yourself by putting yourself through so much pain."

"But I deserve it… I deserve it a hundred, no, a million times over," Syaoran's voice suddenly gave way and he looked down, his eyes lost in the cast shadow, and Meiling almost felt too much pity for him to go on. Almost.

"You know… she was attacked by Jin, right?" Meiling said quietly. Syaoran flinched and seemed intent on crushing his hands in by clenching them. He answered, "Yes I know."

"What do you intend to do about it?" She asked icily, "Nothing? Go on, stoically pretending that she has nothing to do with all this?"

Syaoran nodded ever so slightly.

"Suit yourself then…", Meiling turned her back on him then, her Chinese dress following behind her and billowing in a mysterious wind, "But I hope you know… the only person she was calling for while she was unconscious…

Syaoran's eyes widened in anticipation and anguish.

…was you."

Hm… this chapter was almost totally different from what I had in mind before. This fic is like almost more angst than fluff… -- Well I hope I can add in more S+S fluff next time. And yes, there WILL be E+T and even Yue will appear! You'll see! .

Finals coming up so I have NO clue when I will update but it WILL be sooner! Promise! Summer is coming up so it should be doable!

DreamerDust


	7. The Magic Begins

I apologize profusely for not updating this for a year. ;; School was horrible and the usual excuse of being busy will not suffice, I know. But maybe this chapter'll make up for it (hopefully).

**phoenixember**, you have a point there but in the anime, Fujitaka really DOES call Sakura "Sakura-san" and Touya "Touya-kun". I swear! And it's really not that strange because anyone can call anyone by "-san" or "-kun". It doesn't automatically mean that they're distant. Thanks for your comment, though! I hope you like the rest of the story!

**Everyone else**, I read every single one of your reviews and love every one and try to learn from them! Thank you for reading, commenting, and supporting!

It seems that a number of people are confused about the two Sakuras thing. I will try to explain it without spoiling. There are two Sakuras. One from the past (1803) and one from the present. They are very alike so the ghostly gang (Syaoran, Meiling, etc) keep getting reminded of the past Sakura. And that's all I can tell you guys. XD Very soon, there will be an explanation… HOPEFULLY. And actually… unless I can figure out a kink in the plot later down the line quickly, I may be in some deep trouble. Anyway, on to the story!

Disclaimer: It belongs to THEM.

Key:

Narration

_Thoughts, dreams, flashbacks_

EMPHASIZED WORDS

**… … … …** scene change

**Spells, incantations, etc.**

Japanese/

-san - honorific for respect or default among peers

Otou-san - father

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Spirited Away

Chapter Seven: The Magic Begins

Sakura once again awoke to the sound of quick, quiet conversation. But this time, it was not being held by beings who had supposedly been dead for 200 years. It was just Touya and Sakura's father, Fujitaka. They appeared to be deeply immersed in the topic so Sakura allowed her eyes to become used to the bright sunlight pouring in behind silken curtains. Her eyes roamed the mint green shades of her room and the mysterious scent of her covers made her feel peaceful and happy. She sighed and smiled.

Then Touya glanced over at Sakura and upon seeing her precious emerald eyes open, turned his father around to notice as well.

"Sakura-san!" Fujitaka's voice sounded very fatigued and tense as he strode over to Sakura's bed and gently brushed a few stray strands of auburn hair away from her face. Sakura saw the fear for her safety in his warm brown eyes and the tremble in his hands and instantly felt very guilty for rushing out on them. Even Touya still looked jumpy and there were dark circles under his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Otou-san," Sakura apologized sincerely, "I didn't mean to worry you."

"Ah, it's fine, Sakura-san," Fujitaka held her hand tenderly and sighed in relief, "When Touya came back with you unconscious, it was surely something to worry about!"

"But Sakura," Touya asserted with a suspicious gleam in his eyes, "You must be an ultra-humongous klutz to fall like that. And what did you trip on anyway? It's not like there are rocks lying around everywhere on that road. It's all pavement."

"AH… Onii-chan, that's err… that is," Sakura frantically tried to think of an excuse. She hadn't even been wearing roller blades and falling that severely was quite ludicrous. And if she claimed she had tripped on a leaf pile… well, Touya would just laugh at her.

"This man!" Sakura blurted out. But then quickly covered her mouth. What was she saying?

"A man…?" Touya raised his eyebrow dangerously.

"He um… ran into me while I was rushing home and… erm… I fell down!" Sakura chuckled without conviction.

But it worked like a charm because any male that comes in contact with the sister of Touya Kinomoto pisses Touya off to no end, no matter how strange the circumstances are; and that male will face horrible and life-threatening consequences.

Touya cracked his knuckles, "So this man… what did he look like, Sakura?"

Fujitaka tried to calm Touya down and said, "Now, Touya-kun, it's not the right solution to resort to violence here…" But Touya only glared more menacingly, and his father sighed.

"I couldn't really see his face, you know," Sakura continued, digging an ever more deeper hole, "since he knocked into me from the back!"

"Then why were you lying on the ground face up? Shouldn't you be face down?" Touya suddenly simmered down and questioned cynically. For some reason, her story seemed to make less and less sense as she told it.

"AH that," Sakura felt nervous sweat break out on her back, "I… turned myself over to try to get up…"

"But why would you do that? Can't you get up easier the way you were?" Touya asked.

"Ah well—"

"I think that's enough, Touya-kun," Fujitaka interrupted and Sakura inwardly sighed in relief, "I'm sure Sakura-san does not have the energy to play 20 questions right now. You can ask her more later. But for now, Sakura-san needs to rest."

Touya looked like he wanted to say something but just "hmph-"ed and strode out of the room. Sakura's father followed and he gave her a small smile as he left, which Sakura returned gratefully. Both of them must have been extremely tired as well and no doubt went off to rest.

At the gentle click of the closed door, Sakura breathed a sigh of relief and flounced backwards on to her pillow. As if on cue, Kero popped out from behind her pillow and latched himself to her cheek.

"Sakuraaaa! I thought you'd never wake up!" Kero yelled rather loudly and Sakura had to grab him around the face to silence him when she heard footsteps pass by her door. She sighed and let go when the door did not open.

But then a smile flitted across her face and she laughed, saying, "Thanks, Kero-chan, for worrying."

Kero flew over to her bedside table and landed next to a vase of flowers, proclaiming, "Hmph… what's a guardian for?" He crossed his arms over his chest and nodded to emphasize a point.

Sakura couldn't help but continue to giggle at the seriousness yet cuteness of his expression.

And then a presence suddenly filled the room that Sakura had become accustomed to by now. It felt no heavier than a slight dampening of her senses but she felt it, as if a feather had fallen in a pool of water, creating slight ripples to alert her. Then, right in front of Sakura's eyes, two figures came into focus like seen through the lens of a camera. In the sunlight, they looked exactly like normal humans, from the expression on their faces to the folds in their clothes. The golden trimmings glittered as if real. But a slight squint and the soft blurry voids could be seen where a corner of a table or a design of the curtain could be seen through them.

They stood there for a moment, as if feeling awkward and Sakura broke the tension by spreading a large smile on her face. Meiling's face lit up with happiness and she bounced over to the bed where Sakura lay, excitement radiating off her being.

"Kinomoto-san! You've finally awoken!" Meiling said giddily as she jumped up and down on the bed, creating small slight dents in the fabric.

"Ah, call me Sakura, PLEASE," Sakura put her hands together pleadingly, "All my friends do."

Meiling's mouth opened in a small "o" before she quickly recovered and smiled widely, saying, "Thank you, Sakura! I'll do that!" _Great goddess, they are just so alike._ She exchanged looks with Kero knowingly.

"Meiling-chan," Sakura suddenly looked worried, "How long have I been asleep?"

"A few days, I believe…" Meiling pondered. Sakura felt her stomach drop, she had missed so much school already.

"Four days," A voice gruffly asserted.

Sakura's eyes averted to the speaker in surprise. But she quickly lowered them, feeling incredibly awkward when she saw the unruly cinnamon hair and the deep, dark eyes. Syaoran was really very good-looking. Sakura felt something lodge in her throat and she could not say a thing.

"Yes, four days it was," Meiling broke the silence, glancing quickly from Syaoran to Sakura as a small sly smile tugged at her mouth.

At this, Kero asserted, "And Syaoran watched over you the WHOOOOLE—"

"Dammit you!" Syaoran yelled, making both girls jump. Kero just cowered and hid behind the same flower vase.

Meiling looked rather miffed and crossed her arms over her chest, "But it's true."

Syaoran groaned and ran a hand through his hair, making it even more messy. He suppressed the millions of emotions that surged within him at the sight of Sakura's lively form and her emerald eyes shining in the sunlight and opened his mouth to make amends but Sakura spoke first.

"Um… thank you, Li-kun," Sakura said in a soft voice, her fingers twisted the green comforter across her lap nervously, "Thank you for watching over me."

Syaoran's mouth open and closed a couple of times but no sound came out. However, a blush illuminated his cheeks. Meiling bit her sleeve and looked away. It was all she could do to keep from laughing. Kero had already collapsed in silent laughter in his hiding place. Syaoran's eyes darted around the room as Sakura kept hers on her hands.

Finally, looking at a distant point on the opposite wall and shifting his feet uneasily, Syaoran said, "It's no big deal."

But it was a big deal to Sakura.

Her face came upwards and her big green eyes were open in astonishment. And then in a split second, a breathtakingly beautiful smile bloomed across her features. Sakura felt so happy. His words did not tell much but he seemed to tolerate her now when he appeared to hate her earlier.

And Syaoran couldn't take his eyes off her.

Meiling was amused to no end. But there was business to be gotten to and she cleared her throat when she felt that it was time to cut off the moment.

Sakura suddenly looked embarrassed and Syaoran couldn't link anything together.

"I wasn't—she didn't—we—where—when—don't assume—anything!" Syaoran finished angrily, blushing more than ever. His eyes flashed dangerously but his wolfish features did nothing to get rid of the ridiculous redness on his cheeks. Kero then boldly hovered out from behind the vase to poke at Syaoran on his cheek. His temper flared. Syaoran angrily grabbed at the small guardian, but he nimbly evaded all attacks.

"Come here, you! Bastard… Why I outta—" Syaoran obtained another fistful of only air and started chasing Kero around. Kero blew a raspberry and bopped him on the head.

Sakura then started laughing so hard that she clutched her stomach and leaned forward, her short chestnut hair swinging at her cheeks. Meiling laughed as well. And Syaoran couldn't help but smile. Sakura's laugh was such music to his ears.

"And now that THAT'S out of the way," Meiling said when the laughing had died down, "We should get to what we came here for."

Syaoran's rather grouchy looking disposition sharpened into a frown and he repositioned himself to being next to Meiling at Sakura's bed. Sakura sat up straighter in bed and Kero landed on her shoulder, his cotton ball tail waving in anticipation.

"You must know, Sakura, that we DO NOT, I repeat, do not blame you for the scattering of the cards," Meiling started. At the mention of the past event, Sakura's eyes became suddenly a dark, guilt-filled jade. Her mouth set into a small pink line. Syaoran looked away.

"Please believe us, Sakura," Meiling put her hands on top of Sakura's and Sakura felt only a tingling iciness on her skin. Sakura smiled as an attempt to reassure Meiling for her face was such an expression of hope, but it trembled.

Meiling gave a sidelong glance to Syaoran, obviously expecting him to do something and he looked completely filled with conflict as thoughts passed through his mind. He couldn't do this… it would cause him to lose himself and the whole plan would be ruined. This was the first time that it would actually work but he knew that he wouldn't let the past replay itself.

Whether it worked or not… depended on a life.

He opened his mouth but before a word was uttered, bright images of earlier days crashed into his mind.

"Sakura! What the hell happened!" Syaoran stared in disbelief at the deep long gash along her arm, noticing the shudders of pain that convulsed her body as the blood simply continued to flow. Her pain… radiated into him and he felt a great ache in his heart.

_"It's nothing, it's nothing! I'm fine, really!" the Sakura he had once known smiled, attempting to stand up but an expression of pain clearly flitted across her face as she fell back down._

_Syaoran leaned down and cupped her face in his callused hands. He looked straight into her eyes, his voice shaking with suffering, "Sakura, were you injured during the battle?" Syaoran couldn't bear the thought that she had been putting up with such pain… but for what?_

_Sakura's head made a small nod and Syaoran was baffled._

_"Because," Sakura began, as if sensing he needed a reason, "Syaoran-kun was fighting so hard, and I didn't want to get in your way. I didn't want it to be my fault, again." She looked down, but Syaoran could see the deep green in her eyes that clearly showed her sadness._

_What… the hell?_

_All this time, it had been for him! Everything she was doing was for him!_

_Syaoran looked down at her with the most tender eyes she had ever seen and Sakura's eyes widened. He said, in a voice choked with emotion, "Sakura, your pain is my pain, a thousand times worse… please don't do this to me."_

_"Syaoran-kun…" Sakura laid a smaller paler hand on his and simply smiled. In an unbelievably happy tone she said, "Your success is what matters to me. Let's go back…to…" Suddenly her eyes drooped and she fell forward in a faint. Alarmed, Syaoran looked at the injury on her arm and saw that it was still bleeding and Sakura's face was growing paler by the minute. He picked her up easily in his arms and ran as fast as he could._

_Ran for the girl he loved._

"SYAORAN!" Meiling's voice suddenly pierced through his thoughts and she snapped her fingers to get his attention.

"Are you unwell, Li-kun?" Sakura asked, her wide eyes locked on his. But suddenly she flushed embarrassedly at how futile her question was.

Syaoran's mind was in great turmoil. Here was Sakura, safe and sound, how could he treat her the way he had been? But a deeper voice inside him whispered to him how precious she was and how he could destroy her life as she knew it. He had to keep his distance.

"Just make sure it doesn't happen again," Syaoran managed to say, as void of emotion as he could possibly make his voice. Meling frowned at him but he just looked away.

"Of course!" Sakura exclaimed in that determined tone that everyone in the room loved about her, "Of course, it will never happen again, Li-kun."

Meiling uttered a small sigh then continued to talk, "But of course, the missing cards are still missing. And you must know, Sakura, that these cards can cause a lot of mischief. Do you know how many cards you are missing?"

Sakura promptly took out the deck of pink cards from underneath her pillow. She vaguely remembered hiding them before she fell unconscious upon her bed.

The stack felt mostly filled in her hand but she quickly replied, in the same mysterious automatic way that she noticed herself more and more speaking in, "There are nine cards missing."

Meiling blinked then said with a smile, "Well it's not as bad as we thought. Fourteen cards to capture should be a piece of cake." She held a thumbs-up sign and subtly winked at Kero. The small guardian grinned back at her.

Sakura clapped her hands happily, "Then everything, everything will be just perfect!" She looked at Syaoran square in the face, catching him off-guard, and sending him into a mad blood rush to the face. But Sakura didn't notice at all and said cheerfully, "Don't you worry about a thing, Li-kun! These cards will be back to you, good as new!"

Syaoran tried to say something but Meiling suddenly cut him off. She had been sifting through the cards to see exactly which ones were missing.

"Oh my, Sakura, you're missing all of the element cards," She stated solemnly.

Syaoran's face became tensed as Sakura's expression became worried.

"Well," Sakura began slowly, "There's no helping the fact that they're missing. I'll just need to get them back, same as the other cards."

Meiling bit her lip and set the cards back on the table.

Watching her, a question suddenly struck Sakura.

"Meiling-chan, you are a spirit yet you could touch my cards?"

Meiling shook her head, almost sadly. "No, Sakura," She answered, "Syaoran and I cannot touch anything, except each other. We simply go through them." She brought her hand through the bedpost to demonstrate. Upon contact with the dark wood, her arm seemed to split into a million light beams that formed back together as it came out the other side. "However, we are able to keep ourselves from going through things, such as the floor by using a sort of mental power. Just now, when I held your cards, I did not feel them but I used the mental power to keep them aloft in my hand."

Sakura looked sad, "You cannot touch… people? You can't feel things?"

Meiling glanced at Syaoran for a moment, "We are unable to."

"I'm sorry," Sakura said. She looked up when she felt a cold sensation on her arm; Meiling had her hand on Sakura's arm.

"Don't be." Meiling smiled.

And in a moment she was gone.

Bewildered, Sakura looked around her room but Syaoran was gone as well. Kero remained strangely motionless on the pillow next to hers.

Puzzled, Sakura began to say, "Ke—"

But suddenly the door to her room swung open and her brother stood there.

"Oi kaijuu, go to sleep and stop talking to your stuffed animals," He stifled a yawn towards the end of the sentence and groggily closed the door. She heard him thump down the hallway to his room.

Sakura giggled; she could hear Kero's angry voice muffled into his pillow.

**… … … …**

Bright green eyes blinked open in the darkness. Sakura sighed. She really needed to re-establish a regular sleeping pattern.

She turned over on her side and tried to fall back asleep when a strange noise reached her ears. It sounded like a soft squawk. Sakura sat up and peered into the night to see what was making the noise but saw nothing. Suddenly, it came again. She quickly looked to her window when she was able to identify the source. Sakura slowly got out of her bed and tiptoed over to her window.

She grasped the smooth silk curtains and it took quite an amount of self-persuasion to finally draw them open, very slowly. Bright moonlight flooded the room and Sakura cautiously peaked outside. However, there was nothing there save for the pale glow of the moon.

She gave a sigh of relief and began to tread back to her bed when the sound came once again, so loud this time that it stopped Sakura in her tracks. Nervous sweat beaded her brow as she slowly turned around to look out the window again. But there was still nothing to see.

And suddenly, a giant scarlet eye appeared at her window. It glittered like a large ruby and appeared to belong to a huge creature of some sort. Feathers lay in a smooth pattern on the animal's skin.

Sakura crumpled to the floor, her eyes never leaving the spectacle. This had to be a dream, it HAD to be!

The large glittering eye blinked once then slid out of view and the moon could be seen again.

Sakura let out a shaky, ragged breath and slowly crawled over to the window. Sure, she was scared out of her wits, but somehow, the eye looked gentle and harmless. With a strong feeling of confidence, Sakura pushed open her windows and peeked over the ledge. The perfume of flowers wafted into her room and a gentle breeze sifted through her fine hair. Then a huge feather landed in her lap. It was the snowiest white Sakura had ever seen and was at least as long as her arm. She gingerly touched it and it felt wonderfully soft to her fingers.

Then, once more, she heard the noise and this time, she saw the source. Gazing upwards, she saw the enormous head of an extremely large bird. Silvery moonlight illuminated the strange dazzling whiteness of its feathers and she saw that it seemed to be perched in mid-air. The bird had to be at least as big as an airplane.

"Oh…my…" Sakura whispered in disbelief. However, feeling brave beyond anything else she had ever felt before, she crouched through her windowsill until she was sitting on her window ledge. The moonlight flooded her senses and she saw the full dazzling effect that the light had on the feathers of the large bird.

Reaching out one hand, she gently stroked the smooth beak of the magical creature and its garnet eye looked almost tender. Sakura smiled adoringly at the bird, feeling a strange rush of affection for it. At that moment, the large bird burst into a smoky substance and in mid-air, formed into a small glowing rectangle. Sakura took the card out of the air and when its holographic surface cleared, she saw the bottom of the pink card and read "Fly".

And suddenly she knew what to do.

Quickly calling out her wand, Sakura summoned the Fly Card and suddenly, downy soft wings that she had seen on the bird sprouted out of her back and with a powerful leap, she soared into the starry night sky.

Unseen, Kero beamed from his perch on a shelf.

**… … … …**

Riiingggg… Riiiingggg… 

The sound of a telephone pierced the early morning quiet.

Groggily, Sakura sat up in bed, noting that is was a full one hour before school started, and answered the phone.

"H'lo?"

"HELLO SAKURA-CHAN!" Tomoyo practically shrieked into the phone, "Oh my goodness, Sakura-chan, you'll NEVER believe this!"

"What… what is it?" Sakura managed to say before sinking back into the pillows, phone by her ear.

"I SAW YOU ON TELEVISION AND YOU WERE FLYING AND YOU LOOKED SO CUTE AND OH MY GOODNESS I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, SAKURA-CHAN!"

"Oh… oh that's nice, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura slurred sleepily but suddenly some words seemed to knock on her common sense.

"What? Me? Flying?" _CRAP_.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said rather smugly, "I was watching the news and suddenly during a report on a new building in Hong Kong, I could see you in the background! I figured you probably didn't want to be hunted down so I called the company and had them take the footage off the air!"

"Gee… thanks Tomoyo-chan," Sakura replied rather nervously. She was now fully awake. What could she tell Tomoyo? How could she fabricate such an intricate lie to please her?

"So, Sakura-chan. A little explanation would be nice," Tomoyo said after a moment. Sakura could feel the giddy smile in her voice.

How could she keep such things from her best friend?

"Well, Tomoyo-chan, it's a long story…"

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The ending's a little rushed but I hope this wasn't an overly drawn out chapter. Hopefully nothing too confusing here. ;; Thanks for the support and I pray that I can write faster and better in the future. XDD

DreamerDust


	8. First Day Back

Omg it's a miracle. ;;; I'm actually updating so early. And to tell the truth, I'm so NOT a writer that it's outrageous. I like math… and art. So it's really really surprising that people actually like this:D Thanks for the love and support. XD So, on to the chapter! And I can't believe my hits jumped from 200 to 700 in like three days. O.o

Disclaimer: One day… when it rains takoyaki and the sky has Sakura Card constellations etched into it, you'll know that CCS belongs to me.

Key:

Narration

_Thoughts, dreams, flashbacks, emphasized words_

EMPHASIZED WORDS (also)

----- scene change

**Spells, incantations, etc.**

Japanese/

-san – honorary suffix that basically means Mr., Mrs., or Ms.

-chan – endearing suffix

-kun – suffix for guys or female colleagues at work

Hoe! –neither a prostitute nor a gardening tool; it's Sakura's trademark sound of surprise

Chinese/

Ni hao - hello!

Spirited Away

Chapter Eight: First Day Back

Miss Ling tsk-tsked at Sakura as she crept into the classroom, much like the first day of school, embarrassed and late. Punctuality was never Sakura's strong point. It couldn't have helped anyway since it took quite a long time to explain everything to Tomoyo, who strangely remained quiet throughout the whole explanation. She seemed to take it all in without a doubt. Sakura would have to call her up again after school to make sure she was all right.

"Miss Kinomoto, you've been absent for four days of school and you finally show up late… again," Miss Ling announced sternly while the class was barely able to conceal their laughter, "I'm afraid I will have to make this one a tardy. The punishment for a tardy is clean-up duty after school. Is that clear?"

Sakura sighed in relief, cleaning duty wasn't too bad, "I underst—"

"Well were YOU fighting an evil being a few days ago, resulting in exhaustion of all your magical power and being injured and having to complete hours of schoolwork on top of that, not to mention the fact that she saved many peoples' lives last week and that—"

Sakura sweat dropped as Syaoran just managed to cover Meiling's mouth. Meiling broke free and crossed her arms over her chest with a scathing "hmph".

Sakura found curious stares coming her way again and quickly made her way to her desk. Meiling and Syaoran disappeared from the front and reappeared next to Sakura's desk. They had insisted strongly on going to school with Sakura instead of Kero since they were less obvious and only those with a magical sense could see them, as the two had assured her. Syaoran, Meiling, and Kero were all worried that Sakura would collapse since she was still slightly fatigued from her lethal encounter.

It was interesting, however, the way that Hong was gaping open-mouthed at the space around Sakura's desk and the uneasy feeling that Syaoran felt when he saw the blue-haired back of a certain person's head.

"I'm very glad to see that you're well and with us again, Sakura-san," Eriol greeted when she sat down.

Sakura smiled appreciatively, "Thank you for your worry, Eriol-kun." At that moment, Meiling and Syaoran suddenly disappeared at exactly the same time. Sakura looked around confused, wondering what had happened.

"What's wrong, Sakura-san?" Eriol asked.

"Oh, nothing… nothing's wrong, Eriol-kun," Sakura replied, smiling and trying to act as natural as possible while obviously scanning the room.

Her distracted, darting eyes didn't catch the smile on Eriol's lips.

"Miss Kinomoto, Mr. Hiiragizawa! Focus please!" Miss Ling suddenly called from the front.

"Yes, Miss Ling," both students answered and Sakura spent the rest of the morning with her head filled with physics formulas, with not much more room to think about two disappeared ghosts.

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"There's no mistaking it… it's definitely him," Meiling stated.

"So he reincarnated himself too… the bastard…" Syaoran muttered.

Meiling eyed Syaoran disapprovingly. "Syaoran!"

He held up his hands defensively. "Okay, so it's Hiiragizawa. He's a powerful wizard and he can see us. But what's he doing here? How long has he been here?"

"Not long, I don't think, though I wouldn't know. If he had been here earlier, you would have sensed him," Meiling speculated.

"Well, I think that Hiiragizawa needs to have a little chat with us..."

-----

"Ahh… finally afternoon break," sighed Sakura as she slid her Chinese literature book into her bag and relaxed in her seat. Studying in China was a very grueling and different experience than in Japan. School days were much longer here, subjects much harder, though it was rather nice that the breaks were much longer as well. The afternoon break lasted for two hours, which allowed students to eat lunch and socialize with friends.

"I see you're adapting to Chinese school customs very well, Miss Sakura," Eriol complimented in Chinese with a smile on his face.

"No, no it's still …still," Sakura began her sentence in Chinese, hoping to practice, but couldn't help but convert back to her native language," terribly hard." She and Eriol laughed lightly and Sakura took out a bento box from her bag. Suddenly, a few girls from the class curiously approached her, trying to figure out what were the mysterious colorful things she was eating for lunch.

"Ah um _ni hao_!" Sakura said brightly as she took out her chopsticks, noticing them looking at her.

The girls suddenly erupted in elated, quick strings of Mandarin while Sakura desperately tried to understand them.

"Can you… speak… slower?" Sakura asked of them, trying hard to speak accurate Chinese.

The girls smiled kindly at Sakura and pulled up chairs while speaking slowly and clearly to her. Sakura was surprised to find that they thought she was very kind and sweet and that she shouldn't let Hong get to her. Sakura, however, made great attempts to defend Hong with her limited vocabulary and her classmates couldn't help but admire her.

They were most interested, however, in the food that Sakura's eating. It took a great deal of time for Sakura to explain to the girls that in Japan, they ate fish raw more than when it was cooked. So lost in conversation, Sakura didn't even notice when Eriol slipped away.

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"Yes, my cute little descendant," Eriol smiled toothily, "is there something you wanted to see me about?"

"Why the hell are you here?" Syaoran muttered, irritated. Even after centuries, old habits really did die hard. That "cute little descendant" crap Eriol pulled would make him permanently unable to reincarnate himself one day.

"Be polite, Syaoran," Meiling scolded. She looked at Eriol cautiously, "I never really knew you personally but I've heard of your great powers. Please tell us what your intentions are by being here in Hong Kong."

"My intentions should be very obvious to you both," Eriol eyed both of them sternly, almost like a father would eye his children, "Sakura's powers exceed my powers many-fold so you should know…" He trailed off and for a moment, Eriol looked as if he was trying hard to assemble the right words in his mind.

"How long have you been here then?" Syaoran snapped impatiently. He hated when Eriol avoided directly answering questions.

"I was here," Here Eriol's eyes looked tired and he paused before finishing gravely, "…the first time."

Syaoran paled. This was extraordinary considering how pale he was to begin with. The atmosphere stilled and became frigid though Eriol seemed not to notice.

"What…?" Meiling whispered, her eyes alarmed, "You were here… when _that_ happened? Why didn't you tell us? Why the _hell_ didn't you tell us? It could've been different… Lina could have…"

"You can see the future, can't you?" Syaoran snarled suddenly with ferocity, "Oh great reincarnation of Clow Reed, were you too busy tinkering with your little creations to face other important matters at the time? Such as _saving a life_?"

"I couldn't," Eriol replied quite calmly, "I did not have my full powers at the time. I could not see the future."

"Why the fuck not?" Meiling glared at Syaoran for his language.

"_Kinomoto Fujitaka_. Does that name sound familiar to you two?"

They both shook their heads until suddenly Meiling recognized the name and with a start, said somberly, "Sakura's father."

"He contained my powers. He arrived in Hong Kong in an earlier trip about 5 months ago. As you both well know, that travesty occurred last year. Also, until I turned 15, I could not regain my powers," Eriol explained.

"Why 15?" Meiling ventured to ask.

Eriol took a breath and his deep blue eyes glimmered when he answered, "Because Hiiragizawa Eriol died in 1803 when he was 15 years old."

Silence hung in the air.

"God damn…" Syaoran whispered, "what happened, Hiiragizawa?"

"It's a long story," Eriol replied with a smile but his reply definitely had a curt edge to it.

"Well, we need to know exactly what you plan to do here, Hiiragizawa," Meiling spoke after a moment of uneasiness.

"I plan," Eriol stared at Syaoran, "to save you all."

"_NO_!" Syaoran yelled suddenly, startling both Eriol and Meiling, a dark void of fury and deep pain in his voice. The empty hallway echoed with the strange sound of it.

"Of course we will need Sakura-san's help—"

But before he knew it, Eriol found himself pinned up to a wall with a very strong force, and a ghostly fist hovering mere centimeters in front of his face. He also found himself face-to-face with a seething, furious Syaoran.

"Don't you _dare_ involve her in this." Syaoran's eyes glared with the ferocity of fire though Eriol continued to look nonplussed.

In one smooth movement, however, Eriol had thrown off Syaoran's grip and landed gently on the floor. He stood with his back facing the two phantoms.

"Last time was a mistake. I agree, a horrible mistake," Eriol said. He then turned around to face the two. His face held a determined expression, "But this time is _different_. Don't you see? Can't you feel it?"

He was met with painful looks from both specters.

"So you're both not doing anything because you're afraid that it will be a mistake again," Eriol stated neutrally.

Syaoran stared at Eriol affirmatively and nodded though Meiling simply looked away.

"I hope you know, Syaoran," Eriol said, his voice completely serious, "that you only _hope_ that it's a mistake."

Syaoran tried but could not find a word to say.

At that moment the bell rang and with one last reproachful look, Eriol walked off back to his classroom to gather his books.

-----

"Ah, Eriol-kun!" Sakura waved enthusiastically as Eriol walked towards her, clad in his PE clothes.

"Hello, Sakura-san," Eriol greeted warmly.

"Hoe? I didn't know you were in my physical education class. You weren't in this class on the first day of school," Sakura pondered.

"Oh, I had a schedule change," Eriol smiled, as always.

"Well I'm glad because that means that we have 5 classes together", Sakura said happily, "C'mon, let's go join the others to play soccer!"

Eriol consented by getting up and walking with her to the field.

"Eriol-kun," Sakura said as she started to do a dribbling warm-up, "it seems like I've been getting along better with the class! I think they've started to like me." She smiled broadly that that notion.

"Of course," Eriol replied as he bounced a soccer ball on his legs and recalled several interesting conversations that he had had with a few of the classmates some days ago, "You are very fun and charming to be with."

Sakura blushed at the comment and nearly tripped over the soccer ball when she heard a grunt behind her. She turned around and saw that Syaoran and Meiling were right behind her, actually clad in soccer clothes. Syaoran looked rather cross and sulky while Meiling just laughed.

"Li-kun! Meiling…chan…" Sakura began to say but froze when she noticed Eriol smiling and staring at Syaoran and Meiling. It was almost as if…

"…I can see them, Sakura-san?" Eriol finished her thought with a mysterious sparkle in his eye.

Sakura gasped.

"You can… Eriol-kun?" She whispered as her legs stopped dribbling altogether and the ball rolled next to her feet.

"Yes," He replied, "I have magical ability, just as you do." His bouncing of the soccer ball never ceased.

Sakura suddenly became worried, "Does this mean that there are a lot of people with magical abilities that can see Li-kun and Meiling-chan? Have I… endangered them?"

"Oh, heavens no," Eriol chuckled slightly at her incredibly caring nature, "They're fine as they are."

Syaoran continued to glare.

"Except… I think Syaoran is a little upset," Eriol put on a full-on smirk as Syaoran's glare burned more and more dangerously, "Or even… jealous."

"Hoe? Why would—"

But before Sakura could get her question out, Syaoran had zoomed off and finding an unsuspecting student, promptly dove into his body. Sakura gaped.

The boy suddenly ran inhumanely fast back to where Eriol and Sakura stood and yelled, while suddenly mastering the language of Japanese, "Dammit, Hiiragizawa!" His friend, whom he had been talking to, also started running, bewildered, to where the group now stood.

The boy, or rather, Syaoran, started bouncing a soccer ball on his knees, much like Eriol was doing.

"Not bad… but I expect better out of you, ace player of Scarlet Dragon Academy!" Eriol taunted but was cut short as a soccer ball that was definitely aiming towards his face was caught in his hands.

Syaoran did nothing except glower angrily.

"Eh… so feisty today," Eriol said flippantly, tossing the ball back to Syaoran who continued to bounce it back and forth between his knees. Suddenly Eriol kicked his ball and it shot towards Syaoran like a rocket, who promptly kicked both his and Eriol's balls back at his opponent. Thus began a flurry of soccer balls being kicked back and forth as if they were bullets being fired during a duel. Sakura was amazed as both Eriol and Syaoran performed incredible acrobatics to return the soccer ball, including some flips and twists.

"Amazing, huh?" Meiling remarked to Sakura, who had not moved since the "battle" had begun.

"Yeah, it's just… wow," She managed to say.

"Syaoran was on the varsity soccer team all his years in the Academy," Meiling whispered, seeming not to care whether Sakura was listening or not, "And always… she was always…"

A searing flashback took a hold of her.

_Syaoran was sweating, panting, struggling as he barreled down the field. He always resented the hot uniform that the Academy required the team to wear, it was completely impractical for playing sports. The ball was being dribbled towards the home team's goal and Syaoran gritted his teeth. They were tied… it was the championship game._

_"Li!" Yelled a teammate and he whipped his head around to him, his sweaty hair whipping his eyes._

_Meiling watched in awe and adoration as she sat with Yelan and Syaoran's sisters. But she also saw the only one girl, the outcast, that Syaoran paid attention to on the other side of the field. She stood alone but joy and determination surrounded her like a huge halo. Meiling felt a twinge of jealousy._

_"Let's go!" Syaoran yelled as he ran so fast that he overtook the opponent's teammate who carried the ball and with a skillful slide, managed to knock the ball over to a player of the Scarlet Dragons._

_The crowd roared as the player with the ball sprinted down the field as fast as he could._

_Syaoran followed him closely but suddenly realized that the whole Burgundy Oxen team had gathered in front of their goal in what seemed to be an impenetrable defense. He grit his teeth as he and his teammates circled the goal._

_As Syaoran looked desperately for an opening and the time ticked on, a sweet, sweet voice reached his ears. Syaoran looked at the source and Meiling did as well, with a heavy heart._

_"SYAORAN-KUN!" Sakura cried, waving her yukata-clad arms wildly, "SYAORAN-KUN!_

You can do it_!"_

_At that moment, Syaoran's desperation melted away and in place emerged iron-clad determination. He barked out several orders to his teammates and suddenly passed the ball to Eriol in the far right corner. The Burgundy Oxen team then began congregating towards the corner._

_Syaoran smirked; they had taken the bait._

_In one huge kick, Eriol kicked the soccer ball high into the air and as gravity started to pull it back down, Syaoran leapt into the air and whammed his foot into the ball so hard that the stitching burst as it sailed, untouched, into the goal._

_The crowd went wild._

_Meiling could feel the tears of happiness as she stood up and screamed at their unprecedented victory._

_From all the way across the field, she saw Sakura smiling and nearly dancing as she jumped around excitedly._

_Meiling glanced at Syaoran and saw that he was completely under Sakura's spell._

"Meiling-chan!" Sakura suddenly exclaimed, tearing Meiling away from her thoughts, and relief was evident in her voice, "They've stopped, they've called a truce."

Meiling looked and sure enough, the two boys, looking as if they'd each run to the top of a mountain and back down, were panting and staring at each other.

"You're still… five centuries… too early… to beat me," wheezed Syaoran through his human body.

Eriol smiled calmly, though sweat ran down his brow in streams. Two shredded soccer balls lay in a pile between them.

"Chen! Chen!" a boy ran over to "Syaoran" and shook him, "Wow! I didn't know you were so good at soccer! Nor that you could speak Japanese!" It was at that moment that Syaoran's spirit emerged from him, comically red and sweating. The crowd that had gathered to watch began lessening as well.

As Chen and his friend left with the friend still exclaiming how Chen should join the soccer team and Chen barely able to remember anything that had just happened, Meiling, Sakura, and Eriol laughed heartily. Even Syaoran managed to smile, which somehow caused Sakura to blush, and in turn made Syaoran flush madly. This only caused Meiling and Eriol to be highly amused.

Eriol, however, could sense that Sakura had many, many questions to ask him about what his connection was to the two ghosts and was formulating answers when he noticed a vacant look on her face. She appeared to be staring off to the distance.

"Sakura-san?" Eriol looked up to see Syaoran and Meiling looking bewildered as they hovered within the branches of a nearby tree. They had no clue what she was seeing either.

"It's a… it's a…" Sakura suddenly became aware that she was keeping a large secret and stared at Eriol warily. He knew magic, but still…

"Sakura card?" Eriol completed her statement, a slight smirk on his lips. She always could sense these things much faster than he could.

"What…?" It was Sakura's turn to look bewildered and she quickly looked to Syaoran and Meiling who both nodded confidently.

"Oh…oh yes," Sakura replied, nervously, trying not to look Eriol in the eyes, "A Sakura card."

"Well, then be my guest…" Eriol said with yet another smile.

"O-okay," Sakura took a shaky breath. This was still very surprising to her that Eriol possessed magical power, but she had an important task at hand so she couldn't delay.

Sakura took out her star key pendant and began murmuring the incantation:

**The key that holds the power of the stars.**

**Reveal your true form …to…**

"…me?" Sakura's voice trailed away as she realized that several people had stopped their PE activities to see what she had been doing. It must have looked quite bizarre: a girl holding a pendant and muttering words to it, and in a different language than these Chinese students were used to.

"Ah…hahaha… it's… a toy!" Sakura explained the crowd in their language. There was a general sound of "Oh I see" and they dissipated. It was a mystery to Meiling and Syaoran how such an excuse was still able to work through the centuries…

"Um Eriol-kun," Sakura twisted nervously to face him, "You know magic right… so how can I summon my wand and catch this card without um… being noticed?"

But Eriol was already a step ahead. His celestial wand had already been summoned and with one glowing red motion, the entire school fell silent. Sakura gasped and worry clearly etched itself into her pretty features.

"Relax, Sakura-san, they're only asleep," Eriol assured her.

"Whew, that's good," Sakura breathed. Syaoran couldn't help but suddenly feel an ache in his heart at her sweet and sincere kindness towards everyone.

"The coast is clear, Sakura-san," Eriol declared.

"Okay, then I won't hold back!" Sakura said brightly and threw her star key in the air. As it hung glowing in front of her, she chanted:

**The key that holds the power of the stars.**

**Reveal your true form to me.**

**I, Sakura, commands thee under contract.**

**Release!**

The small key elongated into an elegant pink rod and Sakura grabbed it and sprinted towards where her senses told her to go. Eriol, Syaoran, and Meiling followed.

In the shadows of the trees, a glimmer of autumn hair swayed in the wind.

-----

It wasn't until 200 feet later that Eriol sensed the card. He could feel that it was the Maze.

"Sakura-san," Eriol began to warn, "watch out, it's the—"

But before Eriol could finish his sentence, walls sprouted out of the ground and encased Sakura and Eriol in a huge labyrinth that spawned the entire PE field. Sakura and Eriol were separated. Meiling and Syaoran had strangely been pushed out of the maze and could not get close. Meiling was extremely amused at the look of helplessness on Syaoran's face.

"Hoe!" Sakura exclaimed as she stared at the tall green walls that seemed to keep growing taller and taller. Grabbing a card out of her deck, Sakura commanded, "Sword! Sharpen my wand to a blade that is true!" The wand changed into a blushing pink katana.

In true samurai style, Sakura sliced deep into the wall and it split. But came back together again as if it were made of jello. Not giving up, Sakura tried again but it was to no avail.

"Sakura, Sakura can you hear me?" Meiling's soft voice wafted down. It almost sounded like she was talking from underwater.

"Meiling-chan?" Sakura called out. She looked around but saw no one.

"Sakura, I'm above you!"

Sakura looked up and sure enough, Meiling and Syaoran were hovering above.

"Okay Sakura, I'm going to try to guide you out. It's the only way to capture this card!" Meiling called down.

"But I need to find Eriol-kun first!" Sakura cried out.

"Hiiragizawa is on the other far side of the maze. I believe he can get out by himself just fine," Meiling reassured her.

"Well, if you say so," Sakura replied pensively.

After about twenty minutes of following directions, Sakura found that she was very near the exit. She was right next to the outer walls! Without waiting for Meiling's next instruction, Sakura dashed towards the exit and was within a few feet of the edge when suddenly a figure leapt in front of her.

She was tall and slim, with long dark auburn hair that reached her waist. Her eyes were a catty shade of amber and in her hand was an ancient-looking bell with many colored ribbons attached to it. She smiled kindly at Sakura, something that looked so familiar to the girl.

"Hello, Sakura-chan," She said with a certain tone of endearment in her voice, "It seems like you did not need my help to capture the card this time."

Sakura only looked at her with confusion written all over her face. _When was the last time…?_

Then Sakura heard footsteps behind her and knew that Eriol had arrived. She turned to ask Eriol whether or not he knew this person but the answer was clearly displayed on his face. He was standing extremely still and the look on his face was a mixture of sadness and complete shock, something rarely ever seen.

"Hello, Eriol," the woman said simply in a gentle voice. A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of her rouged lips.

"…Kaho?"

-GASP- Who is Lina? What's Eriol's TRUE connection to Meiling and Syaoran? What do they mean by "the first time"? And most importantly, is this an E&T fic or not! Find out, NEXT TIME! MUAHAHA.

It was supposed to be different, but this seemed like a better way for the chapter to go so I went with it. XD I hope this chapter answered some questions and inspired a lot more! Be patient, all shall be answered in time.

I realize that in the manga/anime, Fujitaka has the appearance of Clow Reed while Eriol had all the power. But I always thought it could be the other way around since Eriol always looked more like Clow than Fujitaka did, in my opinion. :P

Oh I'm sorry to any Kero fans… he didn't appear in this chapter. : But he will come in the next! And Yue will also… somehow… appear. I just need to think of how he should appear. 

I realized that I make a lot of people interrupt each other. I hope it's not annoying anyone.

Thanks for the support!

DreamerDust


	9. Faces of the Past

Ackkk… sorry sorry. This chapter took a while because it's a lot of dialogue and I had trouble keeping it from being boring while trying not to give out to much information. I realized that since I love it when authors answer my reviews, it's really hypocritical not to do the same for my fic. :D

**Piffles**: Yes, yes I did quit. I can only hope that this is as good as you make my fic out to be. Nice talking to you again:D

**tien-chan**: Yay! I'm glad you like it. Thanks for the review and the thumbs-up:D

**cherrixwolf**: I'm actually really glad that people liked the soccer scene. I added it in on a rather final edit because I thought the chapter was too serious. Thanks for your comment:D

**KatyRose**: Yay! I'm happy you liked the soccer scene too. :D I don't actually play soccer so I just kinda imagined it like what I saw on TV. :P Thanks for the review!

**pure hope**: I'm glad you like my story: I'm updating right now! XD

**shortygirl333**: Thanks so much for liking the soccer scene all you guys. ToT It makes me happy. :D ExT all the way! You'll see… ;D

**Placid Snowflake**: Wow what a long review! ;D I'm SO happy you think it's mysterious (what I'm trying to do) and you ACTUALLY want to know stuff! Hahaha… -feels pathetic- Thanks for the review:D

Disclaimer: If I owned CCS, Eriol would have a less annoying seiyuu. -.-;

Key:  
Narration  
_Thoughts, dreams, flashbacks, emphasized words_  
EMPHASIZED WORDS (also)  
----- scene change  
**Spells, incantations, etc.**

Japanese/  
-san - suffix meaning Mr., Mrs., Ms.  
-sensei – suffix meaning teacher  
-chan – suffix showing endearment  
Mou! – a sigh of frustration  
Ne – feminine "hey" or "right?"  
Oi – masculine "hey"  
kaijuu – monster; Touya's pet name for Sakura  
Tadaima! – I'm home!

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Spirited Away

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Chapter Nine: Faces of the Past

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"…Kaho?" Eriol breathed, his eyes holding more emotion than anyone had ever seen before. He clutched his staff tightly in one hand, "Is that really you?"

Kaho merely smiled and stepped aside, the ribbons from the mysterious bell in her hands waving in breeze. She looked at Sakura, "Sakura-chan, if you don't get out and capture the card soon, it will just make another maze around you."

"Oh, oh right!" Sakura came out of her daze watching the scene between Eriol and Kaho and nimbly sprinted out of the maze, Eriol following closely behind as if in a trance.

Facing the entrance of the maze, Sakura pointed her wand towards the sky but before she said anything, a strong wind filled the air as the large green maze seemed to fold within itself until it emerged as a small glowing rectangle, which landed in Sakura's hand. It seemed so obedient. But then Kero had said that the cards truly belonged to her. The thought of that was simply amazing.

Sakura stared at it, with awe in her face, before securely putting it away though she never knew quite where she took them out from. Then, Sakura faced the mysterious lady again, wanting to find out more about her, only to find her gone.

Eriol was most morosely staring at the spot where she had been standing but suddenly stopped when he realized Sakura was watching. Quickly waving his wand, the school once again came alive. Then, Eriol turned to Sakura and simply said, "PE is over, it's time to go to History, Sakura-san."

"But what about—" Sakura began.

"_I said_, it's time to go to History," Eriol repeated. Without waiting for an answer, he began making his way towards the boy's locker room, along with other students who were walking to their locker room as well.

Sakura looked up at Syaoran and Meiling who both looked just as surprised as she did. Now thoroughly confused, Sakura headed towards the girl's locker room, returning her wand to its pendant form as she went.

-----

Eriol remained eerily quiet for the entire rest of the day, facing forwards toward the teacher but having a strange glazed look in his eyes. Sakura chose not to pursue any details.

When the last bell rang for the end of the school day, by the time Sakura finished packing up her school bag, Eriol had already left. As Sakura turned to leave the classroom, she suddenly remembered that she had clean-up duty and good-naturedly put down her bag and walked up to the front to look for cleaning supplies. Just then she heard Miss Ling call to her.

"Miss Kinomoto, could I have a word with you?" Miss Ling asked.

"Oh yes, of course, Miss Ling," Sakura made her way to the teacher's desk, albeit somewhat nervous.

"Um, is it about my grades?" She asked when she had arrived.

"Heavens no!" Miss Ling smiled, "You're doing just as well as most students here. Tighten up on the physics and you'll do great."

Sakura sighed in relief.

"What I wanted to ask you, Miss Kinomoto," Miss Ling began, "is… is it true that you and your family are living in the Li mansion?" Sakura suddenly noticed that Syaoran and Meiling were nowhere to be seen.

"Oh yes," Sakura said, smiling happily.

Miss Ling suddenly looked uneasy, "Well... um all right." Her eyes acquired the same glazed look that Eriol's eyes had held for a good part of the day.

"Okay," Sakura said, confused, "but where are the cleaning supplies kept?"

Miss Ling seemed to not have heard her, "Miss Kinomoto, has anything… strange happened to you at the mansion?"

Sakura blinked, alarmed. Did this teacher know about Syaoran and Meiling? If so, then how? But she noticed Miss Ling studying her expressions and quickly laughed, saying, "Hahaha! What are you talking about? It's great! I love its ancient beauty. It's always a wonder to me why the mansion isn't in a museum."

For a moment, Sakura was afraid that her charade hadn't worked because Miss Ling looked quite suspicious of her when with a start, she said, "Oh …oh I see. That's good then. You know about those old houses, the ceiling beams are weak and might fall… you should be careful."

Even Sakura could tell that Miss Ling was definitely hiding something but answered, "Oh okay. Thanks for worrying, Miss Ling. But where are the—"

"Just forget about cleaning duty, Miss Kinomoto," Miss Ling said absently, now obviously distracted by something in her mind. She hastily picked up her bag and left the classroom.

Sakura looked bewildered for a moment before she too walked back to her desk, picked up her school bag, and left to go home.

-----

As Sakura walked down the hallway, she suddenly sensed it. It was another aura… it felt exactly as whenever Syaoran or Meiling appeared near her: a slight dampening of her senses. But she knew it was neither of her friends.

She felt it peak abruptly and stopped. Sakura looked up and found herself outside the library. Without thinking of the consequences of pursuing mysterious and potentially dangerous magical auras, she pushed open the door and stepped in.

Peering cautiously around, Sakura saw no one. But was completely spellbound.

Sakura decided right then and there that she would never see another library like the one at Hei Hua high school anywhere else. Towers and towers of books crammed on shelves packed the walls as far as the eyes could see. Elegant arches adorned the ceiling with Romanesque sculptures set in spots where intricate Baroque windows let spotlights of sunlight down from the high ceiling. It was like a page out of a fairytale book. And she wondered once again how she came to attend such a wealthy school.

"Wow…" Sakura breathed.

"Yes, it is very grand, isn't it?" A voice behind her commented melodiously.

"Hoe!" Sakura cried, jumping in surprise.

The voice laughed and Sakura turned around, surprised, to find that the speaker was none other than the mysterious lady that had earlier helped her seal the Maze card. It was Mizuki Kaho. Sakura was too shocked to say anything.

"Hello, Kinomoto-san," Kaho greeted once again, smiling mirthfully, "I'm the school librarian, Mizuki Kaho. It's nice to meet you." The casual nature in which Kaho talked to Sakura confused her. Could it have been a simple coincidence that Kaho had been there during the Maze card capture? Maybe Eriol's magic somehow didn't reach her…

"Um good afternoon, Mizuki-sa…sensei?" Sakura realized that once again her mouth had moved according to its own will.

Kaho's eyes twinkled darkly and she said, "Yes, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

"I'm afraid… I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Mizuki-sensei," Sakura said, but at the same time, a strange feeling was growing in her stomach. Sakura felt that from the depths of her heart, she really wanted to trust this woman and that Sakura really _did_ know what she was talking about.

"Ah, I see I see," Kaho replied gently, then her face once again looked lively and bright and she said, "I hear you've been living in the Li mansion."

"Yes I have been living there," Sakura said, though she was feeling uneasy that she had just answered this question a few minutes ago.

"How grand _that_ must be, indeed," Kaho said, a hushed tone to her voice as she clasped her hands together. A black ring on her right pinky glittered as it caught the sunlight.

"I do love the house very much," Sakura smiled, a bit relieved that the librarian had not continued on with strange questions as Miss Ling had done. And as she continued chatting with Kaho about the house, she gradually relaxed and eventually, trusted her completely.

After a while, Kaho asked Sakura, "Kinomoto-san, you live in the Li mansion yet do you know the history of the Li mansion?"

"Why, yes," Sakura replied, slightly puzzled that Mizuki-sensei didn't think she knew such a famous legend and part of Chinese history, "It is one of the most enigmatic mysteries in history. The wealthy Li family was a very mysterious clan who kept to themselves throughout the centuries they survived. However, one day, a new head of the clan decided to invite young intellectuals from neighboring countries to enrich his children. It would prove to have disastrous results when the family completely disappeared after that. No one ever knew what happened to them and the house is the only reminder that they ever existed." Sakura had always felt a twinge of sadness when she read the story in her textbook. A whole family… gone.

"I see you are well-informed, Kinomoto-san," Kaho said, her amber eyes flashing and then, "but there are many things that they don't teach you in school. I'm sure you know that."

"I suppose," Sakura replied thoughtfully, "but my father is an archaeologist and he is studying the mansion as part of his research here. He hasn't been able to come up with anything yet."

"Ah…" Kaho said and her entire face held an expression that showed that she knew more than she let on. She began strolling among the shelves of the library and Sakura followed, intrigued by her mysterious air.

"There have been many, many theories involving that mansion," Kaho began, "Some include that the young intellectuals that the head invited became jealous of the power of the clan and plotted together to bring about its downfall. Others say that the whole invitation was a conspiracy… that the head wanted to eliminate competition. And even some say that he invited them solely to find suitable spouses for his children!" Sakura found that this subject was becoming very engrossing to her.

"The most famous legend, however," Kaho said, resting a hand on a beautiful marble bust of a woman resting on a table, "is the one that involves a Japanese princess." A chill suddenly encased Sakura from head to toe and she felt very uneasy. Why… why in the world did she feel like she knew this legend when she had never even heard of it before?

"The head of the clan, as you know, invited prestigious young people into the mansion. A young Japanese princess was supposedly one of them," Kaho's eyes gleamed as she noticed Sakura's eyes looking distracted, "Her family had been one of the few who were personal friends with the Li clan and the princess, in fact, was very close friends with the heir to the Li clan. Some have even claimed that they were in love." Sakura was now enraptured in the story and Kaho happily noticed this as she continued.

"But a conflict soon broke out… the heir to the Li clan was determined to marry the princess but the clan did not approve, especially the head of the clan. He banned the lovers from seeing each other but they continued to meet in secret," here Kaho's voice sounded sad, "And ultimately… he had the princess murdered. The heir was furious and he went after the head. Needless to say the clan was ripped apart and the family eventually moved away and scattered to different countries," A pause, "Such a tragic story, ne Kinomoto-san?"

When Sakura didn't respond, Kaho glanced at her.

A tear dripped down Sakura's face to the ground. She jerked up at the sound of her name, her eyes wide and touching her face to suddenly realize she had been crying.

"I-I… I," Sakura stuttered.

"Kinomoto-san…?" Kaho reached out a hand to her, concerned. But Sakura whipped around and ran out of the library. Kaho heard her footsteps echo down and away from the library.

The auburn-haired lady then turned and looked out through a large stained glass window at the sun beginning to set below the horizon, the sunlight bringing out red-gold highlights in her long hair.

And smiled.

-----

As soon as Sakura left the school front gates, Syaoran and Meiling suddenly appeared in the air above her.

"Li-kun! Meiling-chan!" Sakura said, surprised, as she tried to hide her red eyes, "Um… where have you two been?"

"Oh uh… nowhere," Syaoran said unconvincingly. But he suddenly noticed the way she shielded her eyes and glided down close to her face. With a quick swipe of his hand, he forced her slender arm away from her face and gasped softly when he saw her eyes, as she pointedly tried not to look at him.

"What happened?" Syaoran demanded. Meiling came down then and her face melted into an expression of worry as she saw Sakura's puffy eyes.

"I um… nothing," Sakura couldn't even figure out the reason herself, "It was nothing, really."

"Sakura…" Meiling noticed the distressed look in Sakura's eyes and knew that they should not press the matter. Syaoran was about to say something but Meiling gently put a hand on his arm and he looked angry, mostly at himself Meiling noticed, but remained silent.

"Let's just go home, 'kay?" Meiling said to Sakura.

The jade-eyed girl blinked and smiled, "That sounds good."

After a moment of quiet walking, Meiling said, "Well I guess we should tell you what we were doing while we were gone." Sakura perked up at this while Meiling looked to Syaoran.

Syaoran grunted and started explaining, "Well, we were trying to follow Hiiragizawa to see what connection he had with that woman. We were certain that he was going to go find her after school."

"So we concealed our auras," Meiling continued, "and followed him. We thought he couldn't sense us but he must have because he entered the music room but we found that we couldn't follow him any further."

"He set up a barrier," Syaoran said, frustrated.

"Oh, I talked to her after school!" Sakura declared then added upon seeing their confused faces, "The beautiful lady that helped me capture the card, I mean. She's the librarian at our school. Mizuki Kaho." But then she suddenly looked troubled as if maybe her tears had been caused by that talk…

At that, both Syaoran and Meiling looked very concerned. Mizuki Kaho… what was she up to now?

"Well," Meiling hesitated for a moment, "What did you talk about with her?"

"We um…" Sakura looked at the ground, "she told me the legend about the Li mansion." And like a lightning flash, she realized that these two ghosts were living proof of the legend! Perhaps they could tell her whether or not it was true.

She looked up to see both Syaoran and Meiling with strange looks in their eyes and said quickly, with regret, "I'm sorry for bringing up something so painful… but I'd really like to know what happened."

Both Meiling and Syaoran obviously did not want to explain this to Sakura and then commenced a furious staring and gesturing conversation between the two until a disruption thankfully came along.

"Oi, kaijuu!" Touya called, coming out the front door towards Sakura, "Talking to yourself again?"

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him and ran inside the house with a cheerful "Tadaima!". Syaoran and Meiling began hovering upwards towards her room when suddenly Touya looked straight at them. He almost seemed to see them… but then scratched his head and walked back into the house, whispering something about college work getting to him.

Syaoran was still rather shaken-looking when he and Meiling both appeared in Sakura's room and Sakura came in. He had had bad experiences with overprotective brothers in the past…

"Sakura," Meiling said, a very interesting look on her face, "I wonder if you know that this was Syaoran's room a long time ago."

"E-e-ehh?" Sakura's entire face lit up in a blushing shade of pink and she nearly dropped the slice of strawberry cake in her hand. Saying that Syaoran was blushing as well would have been a serious understatement.

"Um, did you want me to go to a different room?" Sakura asked tentatively, "If you think my being here is making you uneasy…"

"Just stay!" Syaoran said gruffly, and crossed his arms over his chest, "It's not like… I need a room now anyway."

"Haaaaa… it was a good nap!" Came a sleepy-sounding voice suddenly and Kero popped up from the bed and landed on Sakura's shoulder. She giggled as he stretched his small arms cutely.

"So the stuffed animal decides to come back alive," Syaoran said flippantly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kero pointedly ignored Syaoran and began to ask about Sakura's day.

"Ah, nothing much happened, Kero-chan," Sakura said, "Though I did capture the Maze card and I talked to Mizuki-sensei and Eriol acted weird and so did Miss Ling…"

Kero looked shocked and sent Syaoran and Meiling a look that clearly asked _Did you know about this?_ They both put up their hands defensively.

"Miss Ling asked me a lot of questions about the mansion," Sakura said, frowning as her thoughts lingered to their conversation, "like 'Has anything strange happened?' and she seemed really distracted and worried about something."

"Wait… Miss Ling is your homeroom teacher right?" Kero asked, his eyes narrowed, "What does she look like?"

Syaoran and Meiling suddenly seemed to realize something and became completely still.

"Blonde, lavender eyes," Sakura described, "And—"

_A happy laugh._

_"Blonde, lavender eyes, and the sweetest teacher there ever was!" _She_ bounced happily, her long brown hair waving… waving in the wind…_

"Lina," Meiling gasped and suddenly the door to Sakura's room banged open.

"Oi, kaijuu!" Touya held a phone in his hand, "Yuki wants to talk to you."

"Ah Yukito-san!" Sakura lit up and reached up for the phone. Her denseness didn't allow her to see the dark look that passed over Syaoran's eyes.

"Sakura-chan, how are you?" Came Yukito's cheerful voice.

"I'm perfectly fine! It's so wonderful here in China," Sakura replied wholeheartedly.

"Ah, that's good to hear!" Yukito said, "Your friends here miss you very much, especially Tomoyo-chan."

"Aww… I miss them very much too," Sakura said, her voice trembling a little.

Yukito went on to recount many tales about her friends and then went on to tell her some very exciting news.

"Yukito-san, you're coming to visit? In China?" Sakura gasped, her mouth open, "Why that's wonderful! I can't wait until you get here! Ahh okay, you take care too. Hold on a sec." And with that Sakura passed the phone back to Touya and he went back out into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

After he had gone, before Sakura could re-announce the news, Syaoran asked, "So… who's Yukito?" Though he knew exactly who he was. He was curious though…

"Ah Yukito-san is a family friend and my brother's best friend," Sakura smiled, "I used to have a teensy weensy crush on him but I only see him as another brother now." At this Syaoran looked visibly relieved and Kero smirked.

"So he's coming to visit, eh?" Kero said. This _had_ to be the work of destiny.

"Yes he is," Sakura said happily then looked thoughtful, "though he told me Tomoyo-chan had a surprise for me too…"

Then with a start, Sakura blinked and looked around, "Oh were we talking about Miss Ling?"

"Yes, there's nothing suspicious about her," Syaoran said quickly, "You shouldn't worry."

"Oh, okay that's good," Sakura smiled but Meiling and Kero were both giving Syaoran very pointed looks, which he was trying to ignore.

"Well," Meiling began slowly, "earlier you mentioned the legend of the Li mansion. But before we tell you anything, I'm curious to see what you have heard. You must know that people make up legends all the time."

"All right," Sakura consented, "Well Mizuki-sensei told me that the head of the clan invited prestigious young people to the mansion and one of them was a Japanese princess. The heir to the clan wanted to marry her but the head opposed it and in the end she was murdered," Sakura always felt her heart grow heavy as she recounted that part, "The clan then dissipated."

Meiling's look was unfathomable.

"…But that's not right, is it?" Sakura whispered, wide-eyed as both Syaoran and Meiling turned away. Syaoran looked too stricken to talk.

Finally, Meiling answered softly, so softly, "No it's not. It was much, much worse."

-----

Meiling never did tell Sakura anymore that night after that but she now had more things to worry about. Tryouts for the cheerleading team were coming up and she hadn't practiced for a few weeks. The next day, all Sakura could think about as Miss Ling made morning announcements (and Sakura was actually on time so that she could catch them) were the baton routines that she would have to unearth from no practice. Sighing, she finally turned her attention back towards the front of the room just in time to catch the end of Miss Ling's announcements.

"…another new transfer student!" She smiled at Sakura, "And I believe if Miss Kinomoto stops daydreaming, she will recognize her."

And with that, a slender pale girl stepped into the room. A sheet of violet blue hair cascaded down her back, ending in smooth ringlets and her lavender eyes scanned the room excitedly.

Miss Ling neatly wrote the student's name on the board, "May I present Miss Daidouji—"

"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura cried, overjoyed. She hopped out of her desk and bounded up to the front of the desk. Then without a moment to lose, she wrapped her best friend in a tight hug.

"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo said, happy as well, "Did you get my message from Tsukishiro-san?"

"Wow, I didn't think this would be the surprise!" Sakura was nearly bouncing with energy and joy. Tomoyo laughed at her excitement.

"Okay, Miss Daidouji," Miss Ling took out a seating chart, "I think you shall sit …hm… I guess in front of Miss Kinomoto."

"Yay!" Sakura cheered and began to lead Tomoyo towards the back to her seat. Murmurs of admiration erupted as she walked there and she smiled demurely in response.

"Ah, here's the nice guy I was talking about, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura said as she faced Tomoyo towards Eriol, who was calmly sitting at his desk next to Sakura's.

As her eyes landed on the charming smile, the azure eyes, the low sweeping bangs, her smile froze in place.

And as his eyes landed on the silky hair, the mesmerizing amethyst eyes, the milky white skin, his eyes flickered.

"It's Eriol-kun, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura introduced but then said, "Hoe? Do you two know each other? You look like you recognize him, Tomoyo-chan."

"Oh…" Tomoyo's voice trailed off and she found that her thoughts were unable to connect. Images were flashing through her mind as if she were watching a movie on fast forward. This young man… she knew who he was…

Thinking back, Tomoyo had literally jumped on a plane to get to China, to attend the school where Sakura was, where he was… because _he_ would have the answers to all her dreams, which were sometimes horrifying but sometimes so sweet that she could almost feel the warm sun on her face. She had come for answers.

But then her usual bright smile snapped in place and Eriol was his usual suave self again.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Daidouji-san," Eriol said, smiling.

"No, no, Hiiragizawa-kun," Tomoyo replied, her face beaming, "The pleasure's all mine."

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I know, I know, what a boring chapter… but hopefully it tickled your curiosity since I dropped some hints about what might happen later. :P The ExT bit is really weird, I know, but I tried not to make it all love at first sight-ish which is really dumb. Anyway, until next time!

And see how I brought Yue in _and_ swung the fic around to be an ExT (though they had a weird moment in this chapter)! XD

DreamerDust


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